Poet Profile

Jadran Zalokar

Jadran Zalokar is a Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, a spiritual teacher of Zen and Tantra, a haiku poet and an artist. He is the editor of a trillingual haiku anthology, Hvatanje sjenke vjetra / Catching the Shadows of the Wind (with late Dr. Mile Stamenkovic). Dr Zalokar is the first editor in chief of the haiku magazine Karolina Rijecka and the first president of The Society of Haiku Poets-Rijeka. He received his doctorate defending a dissertation, ''Arthur Schopenhauer and problems of contemporary philosophy". Between 2000 - 2002, he gave a series of lectures on the basic characteristics of the third millennium spirituality. As a haiku poet, he is present in Croatia and in the world; he contributes to international haiku journals and participates in haiku contests. His work is included in domestic and international haiku anthologies. For many years, he has been engaged in haiga with which he illustrates haiku poems and collections.

Awards and Other Honors: First President of the Haiku Society of Rijeka. A member of the World Haiku Association, the Haiku Association of Croatia, and The Croatian Literary Society.

Books Published: Haiku vremeplov / A Haiku Timeline (Rijeka, 1996); Osmijeh putnika / The Traveller's Smile/ Smiling Wanderer (Samobor, 1998); Haiku antologija Hvatanje sjenke vjetra / Grasping the shadow of wind (Rijeka, 1999); Putnikova duga / The Traveller's Rainbow (Rijeka, 2001); Dah mora / Breath of the Sea (Rijeka, 2002); Poljubac daljina / Kiss of distances (Rijeka, 2004); Miris Svitanja / Scent of Dawn [translations by Saša Važić] (Hrvatsko književno društvo [HKD & Liber]: Rijeka, 2009).

Palm Sunday
An old woman pulls the perfume
from a trash can

In the summer storm
the mowed grass
trembles with its scent

Gusts of spring wind—
the tender echo of a church bell
in the distance

Her hands bless
the indoors flowers even
with drops of water

Bonsai display—
a small table
full of verses

Young gulls
clashing for a bit of crumbs
with their shadows, too

Credits: All selections are from Miris Svitanja / Scent of Dawn [translations by Saša Važić] (Hrvatsko književno društvo [HKD & Liber]: Rijeka, 2009).