Joanna Preston is an expatriate Aussie, who returned to Christchurch after three years in England. Her haiku apprenticeship began when she joined Airing Cupboard Women poets, and met the Big Three: Greeba Brydges-Jones, Helen Bascand and Barbara Strang.

She has won haiku and haibun competitions, co-authored (with Cyril Childs) the anthology listening to the rain and co-founded the Small White Teapot Haiku Group. Joanna edited the 2007 and 2008 NZPS anthologies and was co-editor of Kokako from 2008-12. Email Joanna.

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tea with mother-in-law  –
condescension
clouding the view

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washing
my mother’s breasts
we both giggle

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climbing Motuara –
a saddleback darts
under my breath

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after the storm
the garden flooded
with light

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family Christmas –
sharpening
all the knives

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the fields of flanders –
the rich red
of the cemetery gates

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waiting at the airport
the beaming smile
someone else’s husband

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melting snow
from the cowshed
the tang of silage

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Christmas eve  –
the merry flashing
of brake-lights

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lawyer’s office –
she adds three kisses
to the divorce settlement

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Publication notes

tea with mother-in-law: winterSpin (NZ) 2002.

washing: from the haibun “Shoulder Reconstruction”, winterSpin, 2000.

climbing Motuara -: unpublished.

after the storm: ibid.

family Christmas -: ibid.

the fields of flanders -: from the haibun “Lijssenthoek”, Contemporary Haibun 8.

waiting at the airport: Famous Reporter 24, Australia.

melting snow: unpublished.

Christmas eve: ibid.

lawyer’s office: paperwasp (Australia) summer 2002.