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Hello TDH ers, my name is Ann ( with no e) and I was born and brought up in South Wales. I graduated in French and Italian at Bristol University then moved to Wiltshire where I worked for many years in the electronics industry. After retiring twelve years ago I moved back to Wales with my husband and we now live in beautiful Pembrokeshire.
I have always loved poetry but only started to write it a few years ago….when it started to leak out .. mainly autobiographical and nonsense poems and I have particularly enjoyed illustrating some of them. So far I have earned three toilet brushes and two bottles of rum for my poetic efforts.
I would like to write my memoirs ( for my family) using three of the things I love – poetry, photography and painting. I’ve made a lot of progress with this thanks to TDH as many of my posts to the group have been autobiographical.
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I think I had written just one Haiku before I became a member and have now written nearly five hundred! I love the way TDH manages to recreate the friendly atmosphere of the poetry evenings I used to attend in our local pub and which I have missed very much because of the pandemic – just a shame I can’t buy a pint too. Apart from the haiku themselves I love the conversational threads that trail behind the poetry – lots of sharing, humour, suggestions and support.
I like the variety of things offered by the group – poetry, music, art and films. Like Wendy, I made a play list from the TDH music prompt to which I often listen and am now addicted to Robert Plant’s “Please read this Letter”. I visit the group at least once per day and have learned a lot which I am now trying to put into practice.
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At first I just tried to comply with the 5/7/5 rule…but I love the one breath haiku and tanka and senryu and haiga and my favourite.. haibun. I also enjoy concrete haiku – where the words are arranged to create an image or convey a meaning. So I have been experimenting with all of these and have done some background reading on the recommendations of other TDH members which has helped a lot – as have Sebastien’s famous haiku posts.
I tend to do a “word dump” and empty my head of all the words and thoughts relating to the subject then move them and remove them and read them out loud, then leave them for a while and look at them again, then do it all again. This means I am not a ten minute haikuer. I have never written a haiku en plein air – while sitting in a forest or watching the sea – maybe I’ll try that next. Often I post my haiku/senryu/tanka with one of my photos or a painting of mine which relates to the theme… which I suppose makes them haiga. Sometimes I post one of my longer poems – with a haiku introduction.
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TDH has been a lifeline during this pandemic and I think I have made some new friends for life.
Arigato Amanda-san
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Here are some of my Haiku
Theme: Tea
( On meeting my future mother-in-law for the first time – we did become great friends.)
Milk in first or last?
She asks. In the middle I
reply. She stares….. stirs.
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A concrete(ish) haiku
Rhubarb
r
c u b
m l
e
my flavourite
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For the Gather (I wish we could) theme
dearly beloved
we are scattered here today
as you’ll have gathered
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For the Mountain theme
A recent haiku/haiga which was inspired by one of Sarah Davies’s mountain haiku.
My haiku is dedicated to all the TDH members
we haikued up this
mountain into thin air – now
help each other down
18 Comments on “Conversation 74: THE DAILY HAIKU Interviews: Ann Smith”
Annvil Smith
whose hot iron
leaves you in creases
firefly sparks –
words are hammered
into larks
under the hawthorns a violet
Always a delight to read, wordsmith. Your sense of humour and human propensity to accident are artfully beguiling, poetry peeping from behind the mask. A heart.
Thanks Keith for your very kind (and very poetic) comments. 🥰
Wonderful Ann ! I feel I know you although I don’t know you 😄… always love your quirky humour quirky haiku quirky wonderful everything about you ! X
Thanks Fran. It has been a real pleasure to be part of this group. Love your work too. xx
How I envy your toilet brush awards, and your talent for writing. Great interview and haiku, lovely to get to know you better xx
Thank you Helene- you can have one of the toilet brushes if you like …. (the rum has all gone though). Delightful to be part of the TDH group and “meet” you and the other members and read and enjoy your haiku. X
Ann (without an e),
You are such a delight. I love this interview where you explain your creative process and also give credit to so many of the members.
The haiku that mentions your tea date with your mother-in-law is priceless. As are you. So glad you are part of the group.
Thank you Wendy for these lovely words which are very much appreciated. I am so looking forward to receiving your photopoetry book, full of treasures I am sure x
Ann, I so enjoy your surprises in your haiku. They have made me laugh, shocked me , feel sad, share your joy and everything in between. Always a pleasure to see what your next presentation will be…It was nice reading how you create your haiku. Keep surprising us and inspiring!
Thankyou so much Gloria for these kind words. It has been such a pleasure to read your haiku too. xx
From one to over five hundred Ann, what an achievement, many more I hope. Love reading your haiku, the mother in law haiku is wonderfully observed and deeply relatable and I really do feel that we do ‘help each other down’ on THE DAILY HAIKU. Your memoir project sounds fabulous and wonderful to be incorporating poetry, photographs and artwork. The autobiographical nature of many of the haiku in the group has been really touching and feel that this has also helped bring us all together.
Thank you so much Amanda and thank you for all your lovely haiku. Huge thanks for creating this wonderful group and for all your hard work managing it. X
I really enjoyed this interview, Ann, without an e. I also love your mother-in-law story. It is also interesting to read about your writing process. ❤👩🦰❤
Thankyou Carolyn glad you enjoyed it. Love reading your haiku too xx
(I’m only just seeing this ‘conversation’. I feel I found a friend in you, Ann with no ‘e’. I enjoy your ‘walks’ and all the wonderful poetry you share. I have laughed and cried with your haiku. Witty and loads of fun with lots to ponder with many you post. Keep up the great work! Yes! Let’s help each other down and on to our favorite ‘pub’! You are delightful and full of heart!! A treasure in this wonderful group!!
(I’m only just seeing this ‘conversation’). I feel I found a friend in you, Ann with no ‘e’. I enjoy your ‘walks’ and all the wonderful poetry you share. I have laughed and cried with your haiku. Witty and loads of fun with lots to ponder with many you post. Keep up the great work! Yes! Let’s help each other down and on to our favorite ‘pub’! You are delightful and full of heart!! A treasure in this wonderful group!!
Connie I have only just seen your lovely message. Thank you so much for your comments. It is a real pleasure to have “met” you and to be your friend. I love your poetry, your humour and your wonderful voice. 💕
Thank you Ann for your honest words. I’ve read them early in the morning: a really nice way to start a new day.
By the way, must be a nice place yours there in Wales.
Hope we’ll continue sharing “this life” for a long time.
Sending love,
Bittor