Poet Profile

Mark Alan Osterhaus

Mark Alan Osterhaus has been involved with haiku since 1980 when he first met Robert (Bob) Spiess, the longtime editor and publisher of the Modern Haiku journal. Through this chance meeting, he discovered haiku poetry and forged a friendship that lasted until Bob’s passing in March of 2002. Bob was a patient mentor for his development as a haiku poet. He began submitting his work for publication in 1986 and has been involved in the haiku community, in one way or another, since. When he is not writing haiku, he is busy working on his farm in Wisconsin [see website] or spending time in his “winter” home on Manasota Key in Florida. Previously Osterhaus was the founder and CEO of Out of the Box Publishing where he engaged in board game design and publishing. After selling the company to Mattel in 2007, he still finds ample time to nurture his passion for playing and designing games.

Awards and Other Honors: The Heron’s Nest, Editor’s Choice Award; International People’s Haiku Contest Award; Frogpond Journal, Museum of Haiku Literature Haiku Award; Mainichi News Haiku Award; British Haiku Society, James W. Hackett Haiku Award.

breaking the ice
I tell the cattle
it is almost spring

a shift in the wind
the faint squeal of pigs
heading to slaughter

softening snow
a patch of soggy ground
two doves wide

daybreak
beyond the stubbled field
cooling tractors ting

tasting a slice of melon
the truck farmer's
anxious smile

thanksgiving grace
cranberries holding
the shape of a can

Credits: "breaking the ice" - The Heron’s Nest XI:2 (2009); "softening snow" - Modern Haiku XXIX:3 (1998); "tasting a slice of melon" - Modern Haiku XXIX:2 (1998); "a shift in the wind" - Modern Haiku XXVIII:3 (1997); "daybreak" - Modern Haiku XXIX:2 (1998); "thanksgiving grace" - Modern Haiku XXX:2 (1999).