Hi Joan,
I agree with Lee that this thread here may not be the best place to start into the problem of haibun--there's going to be plenty to consider just with haiku! That said, the subject is fascinating and I quite understand your eagerness to explore it.
I've been developing a few last topics for the "Haiku Resources" thread, and haibun is one of them. So I hope to have some interesting links there for everyone to look into within the next few days. Meanwhile, you may want to look at the archives of "Simply Haiku," the online haiku magazine . . . which despite the name, regularly publishes all sorts of wonderful stuff besides just haiku. There is a Haibun feature in most issues, which will give you an idea of what other poets are doing in the form today. Also, don't miss SH Haibun editor Lynne Reese's introduction to the form; it neatly clarifies some of the things to look for in a good haibun.
Simply Haiku Archives (Note: Haibun begins as a regular feature in 2004)
Haibun: Editor's Introduction, by Lynne Reese
(Bonus!) Haibun (An outline by SH's former "haibun editor"--and overall editor--Robert Wilson)
That should get you rolling!
Steve C.
Editing back: What was I thinking? I completely forgot about cho just now! And what, you ask, is "cho"?
contemporary haibun online
In particular, don't miss the "Essays and Interviews by Editors" and the "Editor's Thought Pieces" which you'll find by scrolling down on the page. Lots there to chew on!
[This message has been edited by Stephen Collington (edited October 15, 2008).]