Poet Profile

Chen-ou Liu

Chen-ou Liu was born in Taiwan and emigrated to Canada in 2002. He lives in a suburb of Toronto, where he continues to struggle with a life in transition and translation. His poetry has been published and anthologized worldwide. His tanka and haiku have been honored with 12 awards. Read more of his poems on his poetry blog, Poetry in the Moment.

Awards and Other Honors: Grand Prix, Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest [in English] (2010); Prize Winner, 12th HIA Haiku Contest (2010); Sakura Award and Honorable Mention, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational (2010); Two Honorable Mentions, Winter Moon Awards for Haiku (2010); Honorable Mention, 14th Mainichi Haiku Contest (2010); Third Place, 2010 World Haiku Competition (2010); Second Place, North Carolina Poetry Society Lyman Haiku Award (2011).

Books Published: Forthcoming in April: Ripples from a Splash: A Collection of Haiku Essays with Award-Winning Haiku (A Room of My Own Press,Canada 2011).

her face
in my whisky
the moon floats

cherry blossoms
the moon and I face
each other

autumn dusk…
I stir my coffee
anticlockwise

fork in the road...
standing still to hear
the leaves

cherry petals
falling on cherry petals . . .
I dust your photo

Pacific shore...
my poem is folded
into a boat

Credits: "her face" - Grand Prix, Klostar Ivanic Haiku Contest [in English] (2010);"autumn dusk" - Prize Winner, 12th HIA Haiku Contest (2010); "cherry petals" - Sakura Award, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational (2010); "cherry blossoms" - Honorable Mention, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational (2010); "fork in the road" - Honorable Mention, Winter Moon Awards for Haiku (2010); "Pacific shore" - Honorable Mention, Winter Moon Awards for Haiku (2010).