Monday, August 29, 2011

Kintamani haiku & tanka by Annaxue Yang

In July 2011, I led 14 participants on writers retreat at Kintamani/Lake Batur, Bali. Over 6 days we followed the compass of Balinese cosmology around the lake and caldera of its magnificent volcano, Gunung Batur.

I'm delighted to present some poems from the haiku diary of one of the 14 - Annaxue Yang, with photos by yours truly.





 
fish farms
bathed in a silver sheen
day passes into night

clouds drift in -
the mountain
draws down its night veil

a band of sunshine
through molten black
the Gods have spilled their anger



gamelan music
resting on my ears
sweet warmth of a new day

temple flower
a colour for eight directions
mandala for all seasons



two flowers
heavy in my hand
fragrance light on the breeze

reflections around the pool
I sit writing memoirs
monitored in stone



stone carvings
wear orange sarongs
royal reminders



old roads new roads
sacred to God
a temple bell
resounds in the poet

 
a path
leads through the garden
of ginger and lemon blossom

coffee beans
ground to powder
delicious on the tongue


a frog
sends morse code
beside the paddy field

not yet light
a cock crows
through the mist


roosters herald the day
as pace gathers in the street
motor-bikes humming
pigeons coo to each other
a kite rocks and whirs
to and fro on the wind
a bok-bok-bok –birdsong
stuck in the soundtrack
left-over from last nights’ kecak dance
a frog singing below grass level
a straw broom swishes above
this village morning


 
Annaxue Yang

                    Yours truly reading Peter B's story to Backstage Bali writers
                                             

Kintamani, Bali July  2011
All poems (c) Annaxue Yang
Images (c) Jan Cornall except for last image (c) Glenda Yiu






Saturday, August 27, 2011

Moon bleed

                                                     If I were to share this         
                                   tropical / dog bone / moon bleed / palm fringe               
                                                                 night
with you
                                                              would it feel
 
more                                                       or                                                           less                                                   
 
                                                            romantic?




                                                          would you slide
                                                          your fingers
                                                             into  my
                                         sorry.....think that should be ' into mine' 
                                                              and whisper
                                                'oooooaaaooooooaaaooooh
                                              soooooooaaaooooooooooooooh         
                                            rooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
                                           maaaaaaoaaaaaaaaaaaaan
                                                                 tic'
                                                          then
                                                             fall
                                                           into sleep 
                                                            leaving
me                                                                to                                                     savor                                          

                           the sweet / ukelele lady / dog bone / palm fringe / moon rise

                                   
                                                        moon bleed night
                                                                                              



 Mission Beach, Aug 13, 2011.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011