Late Harvest

As a long-time admirer of Miller’s poetry, I’m delighted to add another volume of his work to my collection. In language that is plain and straightforward - the very qualities that give the poems such power - deep feelings of awe and reverence for the natural world are compressed into a sense of being there, finely attuned to the moment and all it contains. Like the best photographers, Miller captures a fleeting moment with precision and a resonance that goes beyond the image. Eschewing sentimentality, the haiku evoke empathy, celebration and compassion, gifting the reader with everyday encounters to be savoured and reflected on. With its poetry of witness to simple joys and hard truths, Late Harvest is a wonderful contribution to Australian haiku literature.Lyn Reeves, former Vice Presidentof the Australian Haiku SocietyMark Miller is a skilled poet who not only understands his craft but advances that craft with flair and originality. His three-line nature haiku are fresh and insightful while his one-line haiku are distinctive, with each haiku almost becoming a prose poem or short story. Take for example, blue smoke from the forest cutter’s fire unfurling fiddlehead ferns - a poem rich in imagery and emotional potential. The sensitivity of the poems, together with sequencing that gradually introduces haiku on more intense subjects, make Late Harvest a highly satisfying read.Gregory Piko, winner of The HaikuFoundation’s Touchstone Award