Short Form Poems - Haiku, Afriku & More

Inspired by the Japanese poetic form haiku, my poems trace how our internal and external landscapes are deeply intertwined. Through them, I hope to reveal the magical, mysterious, and even absurd ways in which we are the nature we wish to save.

Afriku are Africa-centric verses of haiku. I use the genre to re-imagine the sights and sounds of a continent that often falls prey to negative stereotypes. Since 2024, I have collaborated with the Africa Haiku Network to curate issues of the Mamba Journal of African Haiku.

Below is a selection of poems that have been published in various journals including Acorn, Frogpond, Tsuri-Doro, Folk-Ku, Femku, and Mamba amongst others.

Recently Published


  • Maasai market
    haggling for souvenirs
    made in China

    the Great Rift Valley
    a crack
    on the herder’s foot

    election day heat
    a reporter snoozes
    under his newspaper

    fallow field
    time to grow
    into father’s boots


  • autumn gusts
    a moonlit cobweb
    baskets the chill


  • nameless
    without leaves
    winter trees


  • dandelion seeds —
    inhale before blowing
    the inheritance


  • spring thaw
    mother’s footprints
    muddy my path


  • out of the blue
    he’s whistling —
    cherry blossoms

    (Honourable Mention)


  • first light
    a fisherman
    nets the sunrise