Poet Profile

Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian

Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian is the co-founder of Africa Haiku Network and co-editor of its Mamba journal. He began writing haiku in 2012 on allpoetry.com. His work has appeared in publications such as Modern Haiku, The Heron’s Nest, Creatrix, Hedgegrow, Chrysanthemum, Failed Haiku, The Mamba, Akitsu Quarterly, Cattails, Haiku Review Canada, Brassbell, A Hundred Gourds, Wild Plum, Blithe Spirit, Asahi Haikuist Network, and Wales Haiku Journal and in various haiku anthologies from different parts of the globe.

Awards and Other Honors: Honourable Mention, Matsuo Basho Haiku Award (2016), organized by the European Haiku Society amongst others.

Books Published: His first book is forthcoming.

quiet neighbourhood
the voice of the bread hawker
returns to him

butterflies
the weight of their wings
on flowers

spring coolness
the town crier’s voice
falls into the river

harmattan sun
a leaf falling 
from the tree’s shadow

welcoming my lost son. . .
a flock of birds return
to the oak tree

Christmas in Nigeria—
my chicken’s silent prayer
to the god of chickens

Credits: "quiet neighbourhood" - Blithe Spirit (February 2018); "spring coolness" - Cattails (September 2015); "welcoming my lost son" - Akitsu Quarterly (Fall 2015); "butterflies" - Cattails (January 2014, Premier Edition); "harmattan sun" - The Heron’s Nest XIX:1 (March 2017); "Christmas in Nigeria" - The Heron’s Nest XIX:4 (December 2017).