PETALING JAYA, May 31 — Culinary arts student Griselda Gilbert who bagged first place in an international haiku competition says that poetry has helped channel her emotions into her literary work.
Haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poetic form that consists of 17 syllables arranged in three lines containing five, seven, and five syllables.
Griselda,18, a culinary arts diploma student in Keningau Vocational College was speechless after being announced winner which was part of the Australian art festival that was held online on May 20.
"I’m still trying to digest this news. It’s just unbelievable.
"But I’m glad to be able to express my thoughts in the form of poetry as it helps me open up about my emotions about my hometown Papar."
Part of her haiku reads:
"Hot and cool summer.
"A sheer joy all around us.
"Rekindling our desire to live.”
As the winner, she received a certificate which records an important achievement in her literary work.
Themed nature and the environment, the haiku she wrote draws inspiration from her coastal hometown as she has vivid memories of heading to the beach to catch the sunrise and sunsets on weekends.
"I moved from Papar to Keningau to pursue my diploma in culinary arts and I just miss the sight of the beach or hearing the sound of the waves crashing.
"In a landlocked land like Keningau, I've not gone to the beach in ages and I miss the beach escapades so much.
"As such, I wanted to portray the mood in the three haikus that I’ve written."
She added that although she’s a culinary major, she doesn’t want to be defined to one particular discipline.
"I think it's a common misconception in our education system to define and confine each individual to a specific criterion like the field that they are studying or their exam results.
"Nothing is impossible as one should participate in as many competitions and not let others take you down," she said.
She also attributed her win to her English language teacher, Sirhajwan Idek, who helped proofread and polish her haiku.
On how he felt after his student won the haiku competition, Sirhajwan added that it was important for teachers to help students pursue their talents.
"Literature has been always seen as a less significant discipline and haiku is a short poem that might not even be regarded as a challenging task that parents or teachers should be proud of if the students write such work.
"However, winning this contest shows that no matter how little something seems, it can serve as a very crucial milestone since her achievement shows that literature and art should be given importance as well.
"Haiku might be short and simple but it is an ancient Japanese literature that has helped to preserve the country's culture and history,” he said.
