The Sound Of Water

ISBN: 978-1-903947-24-3
Published by Charnwood Arts - February 2009
The Sound Of Water
A Haiku Poetry Project

By The People Of Thurmaston

with Paul Conneally
and Charnwood Arts

a frog leaps in
water's sound

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

•MM!

Paul Conneally me Iptor Richard Thornton and Ian Baine

;us5 the project.

Richard Thornton Sculpture is based in Harby, north of Newark.

Having completed a wide range of commissions, Richard and
his team have considerable experience of project management
and consultancy.They are used to working with communities
and multi-disciplinary project teams to achieve positive
outcomes. Richard is also an active member of The Royal British
Society of Sculptors.
[email protected]

Paul Conneally is a haiku poet and artist based in Loughborough.

He works with schools and communities all overthe UK
encouraging people to make poetry. He is the artistic director
of the Haikumania Project at Virginia Tech.
[email protected]
There are fragments of haiku poems on the benches in the playground area
and on the wall-piece sculptures... Can you find them?!
What we did at the first session - February 8th.

At the first meeting a mixture of local adults and school children

from Eastfield Primary School met at Elizabeth Park Community
Centre.

Haiku poet, Paul Conneally, led the session and explained that
many haiku contain two parts - a 'fragment'and a'phrase'.The
fragment makes one line (first orthird) and the phrase is split
over two lines.

Some haiku poems follow a special syllable count pattern but

not all of them do. Each haiku poet has their own style.

We went outside to gather ideas for our fragments and phrases.

On this particular day there was a lot of snow on the ground.

The snow on the roads had turned slushy and we could hearthe
sound of traffic scything through the slush. Around us were the
first glimpses of spring.

The group returned inside and worked with Paul to write up their
notes.

We then read out the haiku in the traditional way. Haiku are read
out slowly, savouring every syllable and then repeated.

ice slippery ice a yellow primrose

snow turning to water wrapped in snow
as it falls the holly tree
JadeWells-Larter Sue Lewis
What is a haiku?
furuikeya
old pond... kawazu tobikomu
^ a frog leaps in
water's sound
-•--• mizu nooto

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

This is one of the best known poems in the Japanese language.

It's a haiku.
It was written by Matsuo Basho, probably the most famous writer of
haiku ever.

A Haiku Poet is called a Haijin Other Haiku Masters include:

in Japanese. A Haijin who Yosa Buson (1716-1784)
reaches the highest level and Koyabayashi Issa (1762-1826)
has many students or disciples MasoakaShiki (1867-1902)
is called a 'Haiku Master'. Takahama Kyoshi (1874-1959)

The following pages document haiku writing sessions and

'Haiku Hikes' undertaken by the people of Thurmaston.

leaves fall cold air

a lady walks past at the back of my throat
humming bare trees
Sachin Kantilal ZakCooper

moving trees birds are singing

grass frozen in the cold frosty morning
like snow seeds on the ground
Billy Smith Tom Challenger
1O 11

red berries
clingingtotheir branch
thorns as neighbours
snowflakes floating
water spraying from speeding cars
making tracks on the blanket cars brake jack frost has called by
Karen Millard
on the slippery snow little fingers
tracks on tar freezing in the cold
indentations Ben Mimi Henson
in the soft snow
animals and people

pedestrian bridge crunchy cold

going nowhere lots of flakes
people going everywhere falling from god
Scarlett Henson
solitary footsteps
one by one passing by
black on white black glove bridge over traffic
transient snowflake stars cars buses and lorries
blowing toot and shout
red against park playground Sue Lewis
the white and grey the freshly fa lien snow
a brick chimney hides broken glass wet branches
the bowling green
Hilary Billings covered in snow
new houses snow spins down Rosemary Hill
the development spreads into into the rushing traffic
existing lives a sting of coldness
Brenda Seaton Jemma Bagley
16
18

water diggers everywhere bluebells

runningto nowhere stuck in the mud the weight of rain
the old corner shop houses for sale on their shoulders

rushing water
tumblingtears touching once where the footpath a community
pounding froth roars then gone and byway meets a concretejungle
over concrete an old mattress hiding from the trollies
Jennifer Harris
old age
a gnarled and leaning the Soar flows cars every where
tree trunk south to north mucky water flying
the weir east to west off the wheels

the sky Mimi Henderson

subterranean passage
rude words in a puddle we are all
high and low spotted with raindrops wet and muddy
cane furniture

river soar empty windows Rosemary Hill

under and over, wet brown leaves

to the sea lying in the mud

Hilary Billings

an uncared for boat

in the watery gloom
beautiful blossoms

Hilary Billings
NJ
O
- A house, moved brick by brick from Melton Road.
Where Old Hall Close's wall continues under the ivy.
is piece of creati
Down to the river path, concrete and soil lies in lumpy piles.

Up to Johnson's Bridge and over to the weir. The sound of rushing water

vay, high water had bought litter downriver. Today, there

he weir or tangled into the banks.
Thurmaston.
We pass a yard and peer over and through a wooden fence. Vater geese ;
The name 'Saddingtons' Fuels' is painted onto the side of a corrugated Fishermen sit \
metal lorry container. Peeling, distressed and neglected.
Saddingtons used to move furniture as well. We emerge onto Mill Lane, an unadopted -road. No-one cuts back the foliage. A
grass area and a car park where the fishermen and visitors stop to visit Watermead.
Shoemakers' hovels, a wall is being carefully rebuilt using old bricks.
Using the old to rebuild for new inhabitants. est Avenue back onto the lane.
The old school house We pass decaying houseboats.
that looks too tiny to house a school.
The year 1911 is marked on the wall. We progress to Melton Road and our journey ends at
Up to Cross Street. The Harrow pub, where we rest and enjoy a drink. ,
Old granite kerbstones, next to modern concrete ones.

amework knitter's house.

Across the road to St John The Evangelist, an island of rock.

a resting place
:anal Street was a row of cottages. where squirrels play
the cemetery sign mum and dad asleep
On the site of a medieval hall, like a Guildhall. A farm
mentioned in the Domesday Book . Now Old Hall Close, stands tall and black Jennifer Harris
modern houses. I love water yew trees
canals are part
Rosemary Hill
of living life
outwoods
water bubbles past Margaret
spring flowers bare branches
trees sway dancing in an ice cold wind
red tiles in the bright sunshine Mimi Henderson a magpie blue sky
little brick streets cold air viewing the world
Josh Hadfield
hide secrets from a house roof
Katie
Sue Lewis Jean Bradshaw
26

Rain On My Hat
Thurmaston Carnival 2007
rain on my hands
my children enjoy themselves
on the roundabout
The carnival was held at Elizabeth Park on a very rainy Saturday in loud music
June. Despite this the turn out was good.The theme was'Pirates' a man in rags Sarah Ashford
and many joined in by dressing the part, including Paul Conneally banginga drum
as'Captain Haiku'. treasure chest of sweets
He mingled with the crowd both inside and out, talking to them Mick Pipie
children dressed as pirates
and writing down their ideas. He also devised a giant word search
dodge the rain
based on haiku fragments and phrases which was set up in the wonderful turnout
Sports Hall alongside an exhibition of photographs of the Sound Of Lynn West wood
the morris dancers go on
Water project.This word search can be seen on pages 12 and 13 of
after eastfield school
this book.
too busy
Brenda Seaton
What follows are the haiku poems and photographs gathered on to write poems
the day. a boy with a balloon
wet and happy
Barbara Richardson
people enjoying themselves
wine or water carnival at the stalls
the sun shines we stray from our journey two coppers
Derek Chapman
behind the clouds in the rain in bright green jackets
children havingfun
Sachin Kantilal Andrew Walker
ice-cream wagon
Peter Lee
a posh bloke
really wet day young and old with a bear in his hands
a stall selling a community Pam Ashford
Indian food at its best
Rosemary Hill John and Dave

nothing comes rain on my hat

if I were outside morris dancers
I'd be inspired preparing to dance
HuseinJamaly Roxy
33
Thurmaston Action Group was formed in 2002.TAG are volunteers
who meet monthly, usually at The Old School, Melton Road, on a
Wednesday. Forfurther information and confirmation of the date
and time of the next meeting please contact:

i —^ Gerry Bowman, Chair 01162200511

in
C3rouP Brenda Seaton,Treasurer 01162127686

Charnwood Arts is an independent community arts

and media organisation based in Loughborough. It is
a registered arts and educational charity (No. 505977).

www.charnwoodarts.com 01509821035 or contact

Jemma Bagley: [email protected]

Charnwood Arts would like to thank the people of Thurmaston for

taking part in this project and the following for their support:

The developers Metropolitan and Mansell

for the grant they gave us to get
MflllSGll
this project started and for the
use of the site map on page 3. JSf.!™

Charnwood Borough Council for

Charnwood the arts development grant which
-^ enabled us to publish this book.
«7
<
Leicestershire
County Council'

Photo credits:
Jemma Bagley for the workshop pictures and views of Thurmaston
- Brenda Seaton for the photos on page 32 - Richard Thornton for use of
the photos on page sand use of the wall-piece motif. Alsothankyouto
Sue Lewis for the river drawing used throughout the book.

Print liaison Sue Witts