Haiku verse

Press, 2 May 1985, Page 12

Haiku verse

Haiku was the poetry form that a travelling Canadian poet, Murray Kennedy (pictured), chose for his fifth book of poetry. Mr Kennedy opted for the three-lines, 17-syllables form because of its economy. He wanted to say as much as he could with as few words. The book, “Bus Station Concrete,” was printed by the Caxton Press and published by Mr Kennedy. It is small in size, like haiku poetry. It is the fifth book the poet has written and the second since leaving Canada three years ago. Since then he has travelled India (where he published a book,) South-East Asia, China, Australia, and New Zealand. Here on a visitor’s visa, Mr Kennedy hopes to stay

for up to a year. He has been promoting his book in the South Island and later this week will go north. Mr Kennedy, a carpenter by trade, decided three years ago to travel. A poet with three published books before he left Canada, he has used his poetry to capture the images he has seen. His latest book is illustrated by a German, Mifo Forkert, whom he met at a meditation workshop in India last year. The calligraphy is the work of Alana Parkins, an Australian, who travelled with Mr Kennedy in Nepal and India. Mr Kennedy plans to continue travelling and hopes to visit China again and Japan, the home of the haiku form. The book is available at most bookshops for $3.95.