A passing freight train
In the grip
Of childhood memories.
Goran Gatalica, an eminent poet from Croatia, shares his Haiku poems
Goran Gatalica was born in Virovitica, Croatia, in 1982 and currently resides in Zagreb, Croatia. He finished both physics and chemistry degrees from the University of Zagreb and proceeded directly to a PhD program after graduation. He has published poetry, haiku, and prose in literary journals and anthologies. Gatalica has received many honors for his poetry and haiku, including Award Dragutin Tadijanović, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts for the poetry book Kozmolom (2017), the honor “Haiku Master of the Month” (Rikugien Gardens and Biei, NHK WORLD TV, Japan, 2016 and 2017), the Basho-an Award (Tokyo, Japan, 2018, 2019, 2023), Katanogahara Monogatari Prize (Katano, Japan, 2023) etc. He is a member of the Croatian Writers’ Association.
Haiku Poems
Haiku Poems A passing freight train
In the grip
Of childhood memories
Snowmelt
Unlocking the life
Trapped in the seed
Entrance to temple . . .
In a weightless quiet
A ginkgo leaf
Ridgeline breeze
The butterflies spilling
From the grasses
A downpour
The cacophony
Of the two rivers
A heatwave—
Kids jump the river bank
In several spots
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