The Canberra Times newspaper published Andrew’s poem “Parting Petals” on 22 March 2014. The poem, a gunsaku consisting of five haiku, is reproduced below:

Parting Petals

Kyoto Spring

 

          i

A light breeze is all

it takes to remind cherries

they’re ephemeral.

 

          ii

Almost as frail,

the cherry’s pinkish petals,

as they are pale.

 

          iii

More cherry petals

detaching from their sepals

beside the temples.

 

          iv

So the blossom goes

and for a time the cherries

sorrow without clothes.

 

          v

We saw you start—

now, cherries, like your blossom

we too must part.

 

          © Andrew Lansdown