Poet Profile

Mile Stamenković

Mile Stamenković was born in Ogulin, Croatia, and was a medical doctor, gynaecologist, and a Master of Medical Sciences. His poems and haiku were published in magazines and anthologies in Croatia and abroad (Blithe Spirit, Azami, Woodpecker, Modern Haiku, Haiku Headlines, Hobo, Paper Wasp, The Daily Yomiuri, KŌ, Frogpond, Timepieces). He was a member of The Croatian Haiku Association and the Haiku Society of America. He died in Rijeka, Croatia.

Awards and Other Honors: Work by Mile Stamenković was selected to be included in: The Pathways/Blithe Spirit (Feburary 1994); William J. Higginson's Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac (Kodansha International Tokyo-New York-London, 1996); and Timepieces: Haiku Week-At-A-Glance [Calendar-book] (1997).

Books Published: Dahovi srpanjskih lipika / Breaths of July's Linden Forests (self-published, 1994); Hvatanje sjenke vjetra / Catturare l'ombra del vento / Grasping the Shadow of Wind [Mile Stamenković, Jadran Zalokar, Regional Haiku Anthology] (StaM, Rijeka 1999). Information is currently unavailable regarding two books of Mile Stamenković ' poetry published in 1976 and 1993, illustrated by the poet.

town under siege—
refugees feeding
the pigeons

an owl hooting . . .
the moon slowly sailing
down the windy night

A demolished town.
The wind howls not knowing
where it would go.

The morning guest
shaking down the snow
of his worn out coat.

Next to the flutter
of the wings, the buildings
had flown through.

To be waist deep
in water:  neither man
nor – fish.

Credits: "town under siege" - The Pathway/Blithe Spirit (February 1994); a variation [In the deserted town/hungry war victims/feed the pigeons.] appeared in William J. Higginson's Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac (Kodansha International Tokyo-New York-London (1996); "A demolished town" - Timepieces: Haiku Week-At-A-Glance (1997); "Next to the flutter" - In the Prime Selection for the best Croatian haiku of the year -Second Annual Haiku Competition of the Croatian Haiku Association (1994); "an owl hooting" - Hvatanje sjenke vjetra / Catturare l'ombra del vento / Grasping the Shadow of Wind, Mile Stamenković, Regional Haiku Anthology (StaM, Rijeka, 1999); "The morning guest" - Karolina-rijecka.com Haiku Archives (2002); "To be waist deep" - William J. Higginson, Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac (Kodansha International Tokyo-New York-London, 1996).

Sources Biography: We are grateful to fellow Croation poets Jadran Zalokar, Boris Nazansky, and Djurdja Vukelic Rozic for providing the poetry and other information.