Sherkin Island is all a flutter

July 28, 2022

It’s raining Haiku
Sherkin’s lanes awash with words
Little drops of joy
by Patsy Atkinson, Light Between Seasons – A year of Haiku poetry from Sherkin Island

Sherkin Island is all a flutter…with Haiku poems appearing all over the island’s hedgerows, fence posts and gateways. The Haiku trail is to mark the launch of the Sherkin Island Haiku group’s fourth collection of poetry.

‘Light Between Seasons – a year of Haiku poetry from Sherkin Island’ features edited threads of Haiku and the lively quips of conversations that flowed between group members via WhatsApp over a twelve-month period from September 2020 to August 2021.

This latest collection features over 200 Haiku poems, as well as illustrations of island flora by members of the Haiku group.

To celebrate the new book, members of the group have created a Haiku trail around the island and will hold a Haiku writing event at The Community Hall on Sherkin Island on Thursday 4^th August from 1pm-3pm. This is a free event, and all are welcome to join in, write a Haiku and then add it to the trail throughout the island.

With three lines and seventeen syllables, Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. The Haiku featured in this book capture the ever-changing wild beauty of nature and life. They give a sense of a close community bound by creativity and a shared love of Sherkin Island in Roaringwater Bay, West Cork.

All proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards funding the purchase of Sherkin Island’s former national school building to create a ‘Neart’ Hub for the island community.

‘Neart’ is the Irish word for strength. The fundraising target is €80K to cover the purchase, after which a decision will be made by the community regarding its upgrade, development and future use as a hub for diverse use such as educational, heritage or cultural activities.

A limited number of the books are available from €15 including P&P https://sherkinisland.ie/haiku/ or email sherkinhaiku@gmail.com