Poet Profile

Ralf Bröker

Ralf Bröker was born in Ochtrup, Germany. He has worked as a pr-writer in Frankfurt am Main and Dortmund. With his family, he returned to the Münsterland as a journalist and pr-consultant. His first poetic work was published in 1986. He started reading haiku, senyru and haibun in 2007 and began writing them in 2008. Ralf is a member of the German Haiku Society. He is the editor of Haiku from German Tongues, Kukai 2010, Haiku-Pupil, and Potter's Poems. Started and administrates a facebook group called haiku-like. His work has appeared in German and English-language haiku journals including Sommergras, Chrysanthemum, Sketchbook, Asahi Haikuist Network,WHA Haiga Contest and The Mainichi Daily News.

Awards and Other Honors: Some haiku have been paid attention to in competitions like International Kukai, Caribbean Kigo Kukai, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku Invitational. He was among European Top 100 most creative haiku authors in 2010 and 2011, and chosen to be one of the authors of Diogen - Best Summer Senryu 2012. Blogging Along Tobacco Road presented Ralf's idea of haiku in March 2012.

Books Published: The eBook Seine Blätter was published in Haiku heute (http://www.haiku-heute.de/Dateien/Broeker-Ralf-2011-Seine-Blaetter.pdf). An English translation is in preparation.

mist—
the sound of a fast car
becomes light

Labour Day
an old farmer fixes
a red kite

cherry tree park
everything pink
on the front page

crunching and creaking
behind us
two snow angels tell

Mother's Day—
her mirror refracts
morning light

Snowflake in my hand
if I was dead
it would stay

Credits: "mist" - The Mainichi Daily News (1/6/2010); "cherry tree park" - Sakura Award, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku Invitational (2011); "Mother's Day" - Caribbean Kigo #3; "Labour Day" - International Kukai (5/2012); "crunching and creaking" - World Haiku Review – WHC-German Winter Issue (2008); "Snowflake in my hand" - Asahi Haikuist Network (1/15/2010).