I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and still make my home here. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to Metis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.
My husband and I were married in 1977 and together we’ve travelled to 36 countries on six continents. We agree with St. Augustine who famously said that the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page. We’re closing in on a novel!
My haiku journey began long ago in high school, when I started reading Basho’s poetry and was intrigued by haiku’s ability to say a lot in just a few words. Later on I joined Haiku Canada and presently I’m a regional coordinator for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. I also write poetry book reviews for Haiku Canada Review. I’m a member of Tanka Canada and I write book reviews for that organization’s journal GUSTS: contemporary tanka. As well, I sit on that journal’s tanka selection committee. Here are some poems that have appeared in those journals.
storm clouds
the marching band
picks up speed
connected to peace Haiku Canada Members’ Anthology 2023 and TINYWORDS, 22.2, 20 Oct. 2022
melting snow
I recycle
sympathy cards
Haiku Canada Review Vol 17, Feb. 2023, No. 1
traffic jam
a bumper sticker
amuses me
honk if you love
peace and quiet
GUSTS contemporary tanka No. 37, spring/summer 2023
rainy day
the cats and I
curl up for a nap
my best laid plans
are laid to rest
GUSTS contemporary tanka, No. 37, spring/summer 2023
Here’s one of my haibun that appears in contemporary haibun online.
Silver Threads Among the Gold
After an afternoon of shopping I notice a seniors discount on one of my receipts. Seniors’ discount? What’s next – someone offering to help me cross the street? I crumple the receipt in my pale, blue-veined hand. Then I smile.
falling leaves
the box of hair dye
unopened
cho 19.1
As you can see, I sometimes add a touch of humor to my poetry, which is in keeping with my designation as a Certified Laughter Leader with The World Laughter Tour, based in Columbus, Ohio. I use the techniques of laughter therapy to enhance certain aspects of my social work practice. Laughter is the best medicine! In that regard, for the second consecutive year ( 2022, 2023), I’ve won a Dishonorable Mention in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which challenges participants to write the worst opening line in a fake bad novel. They’re fun sentences to write – and read!
I’ve published five collections of my poetry, one of which is a scifaiku collection. Yes, I have a dark side, as illustrated in these scifaiku from the collection titled A Nameless Place, published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.
in space
there’s no morning
no mourning
alien funeral
mourners shed their skin
instead of tears
These were inspired by own off-kilter imagination, as far as I know!
I’m also inspired by peaceful places like The Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden in Lethbridge, Alberta, where I wrote this haiku.
Japanese garden
not one flower
to spoil the view
~
~
Website: www.joannemorcom.ca
X (formerly Twitter) @joannemorcom.ca