Haibun in its contemporary English language form is poetic prose coupled with haiku poetry about both everyday and extraordinary experiences of the writers. A more complete definition can be found on the pages of the journal Contemporary Haibun Online.

This web site provides examples of the modern practice of English haibun. As such, it is neither a periodical nor a publication place.

The haibun authors on this page have been selected to display a wide variety of current haibun styles, ranging from accounts of journeys to places [in the spirit of Basho's original travel journals] to more explorative styles including descriptive accounts of everyday experiences in urban and rural settings and flights of poetic fancy.

an'ya: Girl's Night
Debra Woolard Bender: Patchwork
Roberta Beary: Sunday Dinner
Janice Bostock: Getting off the Round About
Marjorie Buettner: Forgotten Roads
Paul Conneally: In Search of a Roost
Michael Czarnecki: Fifth Day of a New Year
Norman Darlington: Debris
Lynn Edge: Western Spirits
Jamie Edgecombe: Across the Table
Gerald England: Scilly 2000
Thomas D. Greer: I Remember Most of All Their Hands
Dennis Holmes: Dandelions
Jim Kacian: Eastertide
Louise Linville: A Death in the Family
Francis Masat: Rising Wisps
Michael McClintock: The Importance of Goldfish
Allen McGill: Tribute to the Gods
Joanne Morcom: Three Towns
Marlene Mountain: shy impressions of a knee-worn traveler
Naia: Gossamer Wings
Zane Parks: Korea
Kala Ramesh: An Hour Passes
Ray Rasmussen: Cyber Cafe
Lynne Rees: Touching Stone
Bruce Ross: Every Step
Helen Ruggieri, The Amish Woman
Adelaide Shaw: A Winter Afternoon
Richard Straw: Stone by Stone
Beth Vieira, Just Past Easter
Gene Williamson: Father's Time
Billie Wilson: Wordless Poems
Jeffrey Winke: Gathere the Volume Up
Tad Wojnicki: Live Oak
Jeffrey Woodward, The Widow's Place
zolo: Implacable Time and the Long, Slow Pull of the Irresistible Sun

If you would like to place a haibun on this web site, drop me an email with a copy of your haibun and I'll consider it: email

Good online places to go for more examples of contemporary haibun composition:
Contemporary Haibun Online is devoted entirely to the haibun genre.
Haibun Today An ongoing presentation of new and previously published haibun, essays and reviews.
A Hundred Gourds has a haibun section.
Modern Haiku usually contains one or two examples of haibun per online issue.
Simply Haiku has a haibun section.

In addition, I have a selection of my own haibun here: Ray's Haibun Webpage

~ Ray Rasmussen

All materials on this haibun web site are subject to copyright protection. The authors hold sole copyright to their haibun and must themselves give permission for the use of any part of their writing in any format, Internet or otherwise. All writers have given their permission to post their haibun on this site.