The Pond— Haiku from Our Hearts

“Young kids may be shallow with their thoughts and gestures, but have the greatest imagination of us all.” These are Marsh Junior High student and poet Ashlyn Barnett’s words of introduction for this collection of haiku “by inspired and inspiring local girls.” Spearheaded by local poet Amaera BayLaurel, this collection is the creation of the Valley Oak Girls Poetry Group (with help from the Chico Arts Commission and California Poets in the School) and compiles the fruits of the various poetry workshops BayLaurel held at Valley Oak Village, Pleasant Valley High, Fairview High and the Blue Room Theatre. In The Pond, the young poets (ages 10-18) explore the haiku form at ever-deepening thematic levels, from playful (“Crunching on fortune cookies/ Playing with fathers/ And the tinging of metal bowls”—anonymous, V.O.V. Girls Poetry Group) to serious and fairly sophisticated (“I hear the stressed ocean at night/ I was thirsty for true love/ I feel lonely like the moon”—Jessica Texeiro, Fairview High). The second chapbook, The Tree, is in the works, with a workshop planned for Aug. 22 at Café Flo. Info: 892-0356.