Poet Profile

Jon Petruschke

Jon Petruschke is a psychotherapist who resides in Portland, Maine, with his wife and two sister cats. He has aspired to be a Haiku Master since childhood. His first book, Dream Haiku: Poems from Nights and Naps, is a collection inspired by his dreams. During the covid-19 pandemic, he began work on his second book, Cherry Blossom: Erotic Haiku, melding haiku with the erotic as an antidote to the angst and uncertainty of the times. His work has appeared in the leading haiku journals Modern Haiku and Presence, the anthologies Philly Fiction 1 and 2, and over 30 other publications.

Books Published:

Dream Haiku: Poems from Night and Naps (Annie Books 2014, Paperback); Cherry Blossom: Erotic Haiku (Annie Books, 2024, Paperback).

moon in the branches
her cheeks
in black lace

summer into fall
I cross
her tan line

cold night
she unbuttons just enough
to let me in

Halloween
she wears nothing but
her black cat

midnight skinny dipping
so many moons
in the water

spring equinox
all of her gets
equal attention

Credits:

“moon in the branches” – Haiku Canada Review, October 2024 Issue; “summer into fall” – Modern Haiku Vol. 56.1, Winter-Spring 2024/2025; “cold night” – Presence Issue 75, March 2023; “Halloween” – Tsuri-Dōrō Issue 14, March/April 2023; “midnight skinny dipping” – Tsuri-Dōrō Issue 24, Nov/Dec 2024; “spring equinox” – The Arlington Literary Journal Issue 180, June 1, 2023.