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I’m Vivien Eliades, born Vivien Powell on Christmas Day 1950 in Leicestershire in the front bedroom of my maternal grandmother’s terraced house. She was my rock during my early childhood, and taught me a great deal about the joys of life and to have gratitude for what we have – she was adopted and turned her sad story into a wondrous tale to entertain us. Dad was a refugee from Nazi Germany; he gave me my love of art, music, nature and the great outdoors; the confidence to be different and stand up against injustice.
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It was my mother who passed on her love of poetry and literature – she would often recite from memory poems and passages from Shakespeare; two particularly good English teachers in Hinckley and Wembley also inspired me. I now live partly in Brighton, UK and partly in rural Cyprus, where we’ve been stuck in lockdown for several months – a great place to be stuck!
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My longest-standing friend from primary school, Penny O’Neill, invited to The Daily Haiku back in March 2020. She lives in Cornwall so was one of the first to join. I’ve been writing poetry and short stories for many years and started writing haiku nearly 20 years ago, inspired by my Zen Buddhist practice. More recently I attended a haiku workshop and have been writing haiku on and off since then, until I joined TDH – now I’m writing them almost daily and sometimes more than once a day.
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I tend to write about what’s happening here and now from my own observation, and sometimes that is helped by the daily theme and at others, it just comes from what is. The natural world most inspires me and also memories of loved ones. Occasionally someone else’s haiku will trigger a thought or a memory and a haiku is born from that. For instance, someone wrote about tinnitus on the ‘noise’ theme, and that reminded me of when I first got my hearing aids and I heard birdsong for the first time in ages, so I wrote about that:
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When I first wore my
hearing aids, someone had
switched on the sparrows
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The words often just make themselves up and I make sure they’re arranged in a way that sounds right, with the ‘correct’ number of syllables (although I don’t always stick to the 5-7-5 rule). Other times, I get an idea and write a few words, then wait for the rest to follow. Something may spring to mind when I’m in bed and I have to write it down before I forget it. My haiku notebook is always by my side and I have a haiku folder in the notes on my tablet and phone.
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My style is not very ‘poetic’ and the words I use can seem quite mundane, but I always strive to express the essence of the idea in as few words as possible. I’m often surprised by what comes up during a renga on a Friday or Wednesday – the collective mind seems to generate creativity.
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Sometimes I do use photographs, preferably my own, particularly if the image inspires the words and the haiku would have less meaning without it. I also sometimes use humour, which seems quite common amongst the TDH diehards! I love being a member of this wonderful group. Everyone is very supportive and caring; I feel as if I’ve really got to know some of the members who are now good friends, even though we’ve never met. It was very helpful during the first lockdown, to put into words how I was feeling and what was happening around me, mostly in our springtime garden in Brighton.
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As the pandemic continues, TDH has become the first thing I go to in the morning – that feeling of connection is so special. I’d like to offer a deep bow of appreciation to Amanda for setting up this group and managing it so well.
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One of my favourite haiku is about my dear sister, whose husband died at the end of September and I flew back to the UK from Cyprus to be with her and help organise everything. The daily theme was ‘Fold’.
She stands, ironing
Pressing out creases, hiding
her grief in neat folds
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This next one illustrates my use of humour – all the characters are no longer with us:
Scent
Gran, lavender; Mum,
l’Air du Temps; Auntie, cologne;
Dad, dried runner’s sweat.
Another, on a similar theme (‘fragrance’):
Fragrance of lemon
blossom wafts, balmy night air
Crickets chirruping
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I think my all-time favourite haiku so far is about my lovely Dad, who died on 31 December 1995. It certainly went down well with everyone at TDH:
My lovely father
died twenty-five years ago
We still go for walks
25 Comments on “Conversation 45: THE DAILY HAIKU INTERVIEWS: Vivien Eliades”
Wonderful Vivien 💓
Lovely interview, Vivien. I feel I know you so well already, but I learnt a few new things, especially about your childhood! It was nice to read a few haiku I’d never seen before, both of the smell-related ones. I guess they were posted before I joined, as I certainly remember the others! So glad you’re part of the group!
Thank you, Jenny. I’m glad you enjoyed them, and that I’m part of this group. You’re all an inspiration 🌺❤️🌺
Thank you, Ann 🌺
I hear it in the voice of your words what a kind, gentle soul you are. This ‘Conversation’ ran smooth as if I were there listening in person to your thoughts. I’m so glad I’m in this group with you! The way you color your haiku with calming hues soothes my soul. Thank you so much.
Thank you, Connie. I’m glad you’re here too 🌺
Your words are as heartfelt asvI expected them to be. So glad to be sharing this time and space with you. X
Thank you, dear Stan. Me too. 🌺
Delightful, Vivien, always sweet and thoughtful, the sunshine and lemons….. and over the South Downs, the skylark.
Thank you, Keith. The lemons are giving us lemonade now, and we have skylarks in Cyprus too. I’m so lucky to have both places.
Ivien, the last haiku about your father brought tears – simple & beautiful
Thank you, Kathrine. My dad was a one-off and I loved him dearly ❤️
Vivien, yours is a profile picture I recognize through repeated exposure to your beautiful writing. Your “folds” haiku, here, brought me to the edge of tears. It is extraordinary how your carefully chosen words can cut through all the noise… The opposite of a hearing aid, some might say.
Thank you, Eric. That one was written about my dear sister, whose husband had just died. I’m glad you enjoy my haiku. 🌺
Hello Vivien, I am happy to get to know more about your life. You are one of those lights in the group that brings gentleness and care through your haiku.
Warm regards.
Thank you so much Sebastien 🌺
You’ve been delightful and fun to get to know through haiku, Vivien. I also appreciate your story and background here to weave it altogether! Like so many here, you are an inspiration!
Thank you, Gloria. 🌺
I’m feeling rather humbled by all your wonderful comments. Thank you, everyone 🌺❤️🌺
I always look out for your Haiku, and the one you wrote for you sister has always stayed with me, lovely to get to know you better. x
Thank you, Helene. I always look out for yours, too 🌺
I love your warmth Vivien that pervades your heartfelt haiku. They touch us and have a beautiful sensory quality, in both your haiku examples here lavender and lemon make these haiku all the more relatable and tangible. As Connie comments your words and contributions to TDH reveal a gentle, kind soul. I think it is wonderful that your parents were able to ignite a love for literature, culture and the arts which you have carried through your whole life. It shows that when we are able to bring such riches into our lives from a young age they stay with us and shape who we become. Your haiku about grief is utterly wonderful and poignant. Thank you for sharing here Vivien and I look forward to many more haiku.
Thank you so much, Amanda. I don’t know what I expected when I first joined TDH, except to share a few haiku, and it’s turned into this wonderful community. I’m so enjoying the process of haiku writing and I’m glad people appreciate my efforts as much as I do theirs.
I somehow missed this interview…so pleased to read it tonight Vivien 💐 I used to sing with Penny so feel a connection with you through her…. and sharing a name too (with slightly different spelling!).
What comes across for me in your writing….is your humanity, kindness and warmth. I look forward to reading your haiku. Thank you for being you. 🌻🦋❣️🦋🌻
After chatting to you over the weekend, by chance I’ve just spotted your interview here today, Vivien. It’s great to hear more about you and your writing. (Btw my sister-in-law was also born on Christmas Day!)
It was lovely to hear you read your haiku “she stands ironing” on our Zoom meet-up on Saturday evening and your favourite about your father is very moving.
Really lovely to meet you! 🥰
marion