weathered timber
a glimmer of trout
in slanted light
Fireflies' Light 15th June 2020
Editor John
M. R. Defibaugh (b. 1985) is a Virginia-based poet and haiku enthusiast whose work is influenced by love, loss, disability, and his compassion for others and the environment. His poetry is as matter-of-fact as it is romantic, employing imagery that is plain yet sometimes provocative. Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, he suffers from progressive muscle loss and relies on a wheelchair. He has degrees in mathematical sciences (BA, University of Illinois at Springfield) and operations management (MS, University of Arkansas). He has appeared in numerous journals and other publications, including Failed Haiku, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Prune Juice, Stardust Haiku, Trash Panda, and Whiptail. Defibaugh is the co-creator and editor of the Tan-Renga/Tanka Chapbook Series. Starting in October 2022, a new chapbook of 24 collaborative 5-line poems will be made available for download on the first of each month. These books will feature some of the 700+ poems he has written with Malaysian poet Christina Chin. His first haiku-focused chapbook, the cuckoo always mid-song: haiku & haiga (2021), was done in collaboration with Michigan artist Penney L. Mellen and is available from Barnes & Noble Press.