Goran Gatalica
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 the literary journals and anthologies.
spring pilgrimage —
first cherry blossoms
in mother’s sandals
Haiku Moment Award, The Best of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal (Volume 1:1 and 1:2), 2018.)
howling wind —
the mast of a small ship
sings on the shore
thinking of war
wrapped in barbed wire
fragile butterfly
Basho-an Award, 1st Basho-an International Haiku Competition, Tokyo, Japan, 2019.
winter garden —
a long silence
of bonsai
anemone's seeds —
I sleep wherever
the night catches me
summer fog —
hustle along the docks
without a shape
Presence, Britain's leading independent haiku journal, #65, 2019.
desert's stillness —
the skin of a rattlesnake
basking in the sun
winter solitude —
in the wren's nest
twilight deepens
war memories —
the embalmed dusk
in refugees’ veins
blizzard —
a well-stocked bookstore
full of children
Presence, Britain's leading independent haiku journal, #66, 2020.
night jasmine —
her bloomed soul brings water
to a refugee
Basho-an Award, 2nd Basho-an International Haiku Competition, Tokyo, Japan, 2020
hot day —
a lizard on a nearby rock
follows the sunset
truce agreement —
between the soldier’s boots
a cobweb
Acorn: a journal of contemporary haiku, Spring 2020.
deep solitude...
smaller than Planck constant
morning birdsong
Frogpond 41.2, Spring/Summer 2018.
autumn wind…
a little child leaves school
without his hat
Presence: Britain's leading independent haiku journal, #68, 2020.
amid pandemic
on our little attic balcony
the cardinal’s song
Acorn: a journal of contemporary haiku, Autumn 2020.
returning home —
a group of winter finches
on the refugee's tent
Presence, Britain's leading independent haiku journal, #67, 2020.
eighty autumns…
her fingers remembering
the first quinces
scent of snow —
reinforced with cardboard
the refugee’s boots
Honorable Mention, The 74th Basho Memorial English Haiku Contest, 2020
spring lockdown —
the library windows stare
into the emptiness
sultry evening…
a procession of small ants
on the nightstand
moonless night —
the window of a moving train
cuts a dense mist
searing heat —
the spotted dove drinks water
without raising its head
the last ship
from this island…
fragrance of lavenders
starless night —
the first pheasants nestle
in the grass
deep winter
the vivid nudity
of fallen tree
Honorable Mention, 1st Basho-an International Haiku Competition, Tokyo, Japan, 2019
autumn clouds
folded in a handkerchief
after mother's death
Honorable Mention, 1st Basho-an International Haiku Competition, Tokyo, Japan, 2019
spring haze —
cherry petals spread
so quietly
Second Place, 33rd Annual Sakura Festival, University of Alabama, USA, March 2019
spring loneliness —
washed with moonlight
mother's ink brush
end of spring…
father gouges a tiny line
into the wood
an old farmer
in the sleeves of night
rearranges silence
blazing bonfire —
my mother's wrinkles
become sharper
First Place, 30th edition of the Indian Kukai, December 2019
winter dawn —
small refugee takes breath
in a tank car
Honorable Mentions, Sharpening The Green Pencil Haiku Contest, Romania, 2018
lingering heat —
the tempo of flies
on the cow's tail
bloom in the valley —
in grandma’s lullaby
hum of bees
First Place, 32nd Annual Sakura Festival, University of Alabama, USA, 2018
autumn equinox —
among the pilgrims
a blink of eternity
august flood —
a sprawling meadow
reflects the stars
spring sunrays —
a kitten opens its eyes
for the first time
forgiveness —
snow becomes brighter
in front of my house
fading light—
he pulls the face mask
over his ears
Kingfisher, Issue #2, 2020.
folded parasols —
the bartender is looking
toward the moon
evening coldness...
mother puts one of the pills
between her teeth
seaside promenade —
I am looking forward
to a cup of espresso
Modern Haiku, Issue 51:2, 2020.
first icicles...
the neighbors' hedgerow
has many shadows
Modern Haiku, Issue 51:3, 2020.