As winter ended in 2014, I began writing haiku. Later, when the tree through the window turned red, I began calling them Red Leaf Haiku. From March 2014 to August 2016, I wrote and published 2,600 Red Leaf Haiku. This special book gathers 444 of my favorites. Together, in this unique order, they are the story of my life. —John Clark Helzer, 6 September 2016