Poet Profile

Caroline Ridley-Duff

I began writing poetry during the lockdown. I experimented with haiku (or 'mini poems' as I called them) to capture snapshots of my moments in nature, to remind myself that the world was still a lovely place. Poetry continues to bring a wonderful calming quality to my life, and I enjoy adding poems to my journals and incorporating them into my artwork. In addition to poetry, I love running, cookery, cats and crafting. I am married with 2 grown-up daughters.

Kite festival—
a frog leaps
into the sky

Fireflies
light flirtation 
on a sultry night

Snowy pavements—
shop window mannequins 
in bikinis

Sleeper train—
I dream my way
to the mountains

Aurora gazing—
the perks of being 
an insomniac

Miles apart
we watch the moon
together

Credits:

“Kite festival” – Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal issue 12, July 2025 (editor's choice and nomination for a Touchstone Award); “Fireflies” – Scarlet Dragonfly Journal issue 12, March 2023; “Snowy pavements” – Troutswirl, The Haiku Foundation Blog, July 26, 2023; “Sleeper train” – Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal Issue 3, August 2023; “aurora gazing” – Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal issue 10, December 2024; “Miles apart” – LEAF issue 12, Dec. 2023.