Initial Response is the first individual haiku collection from Maeve O’Sullivan who has been establishing a reputation as a thoughtful haijin - nationally and internationally - since the late 1990s. Her joint collection with Kim Richardson from 2005, Double Rainbow, was well-received by readers and critics alike, so this new collection is a welcome addition to the shelves of haiku poetry. These haiku are prompted by initial responses to sensual stimuli, as the title suggests, but they have also been edited and honed using the language and imagination of an accomplished poet.