Ralf Bröker - Three Questions

Ralf Bröker was born in Ochtrup, Germany, in 1968. 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. His work has appeared in German and English language haiku journals including Sommergras, Chrysanthemum, Sketchbook, Asahi Haikuist Network and The Mainichi Daily News. Ralf's eBook “Seine Blätter” was published in Haiku heute. He is the editor for Haiku from German Tongues, Kukai 2010 and a Facebook-group called haiku-like.

---

1) Why do you write haiku?

Haiku has become the hiking song melody of my life. It helps me watch the world and it carries my mindfulness. Haiku gives me pencil, paper and words to notice my here and now. It enables me to deal with my past and to be curious about the future. In rare moments my haiku are more than I am; it allows other people to get to know me a bit. Of course, I don’t see and can’t find my way most of the day. But I am not afraid: I hope to be a whistling haiku pupil for the rest of my life.


2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I like to read all kind of lyrical poems. A good poem makes me dream - and sometimes leads me into nightmares. It shows me a world – and examines my inside. Aside from haiku I love haibun. Its prose technique and haiku spirit open a story, a thought, a feeling, so much more to readers.


3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?

Wonderful? Many? A very few times a wonder has found its way into my words and shines into a reader’s mind. My primary merit was not to disturb …


mist--
the sound of a fast car
becomes light

Mainichi Daily, 1/6/2010



Snowflake in my hand
if I was dead
it would stay

Asahi, 1/15/2010



cherry tree park
everything pink
on the front page

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Haiku Invitational 2011

---

If you are enjoying this series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response - whether it be for haibun, haiku or tanka - to the three little questions that Ralf answered. You must be a published poet to participate.