The Bamboo Hut Issue One Twenty Twenty Three
Tuyet Van Do
Family
struck by illness
love
binding
siblings
assist one another
advanced in age
children
take turn
looking after
her
New Year's day
with gratitude
they find
comfort
having family
french cat
sitting idly
glaring Eva Do
modeling
on the floor
against the mirror Tuyet Van Do
black coat
with white socks
she blinks a hello Emi Do
Marjorie Buettner
Thomas Chockley
Into Another Morning
at the beginning of night
one lone bird's migrating song
and now at the very end
passing autumn rain
longing for missing birdsong
this early gray break of day
instead the clitter clatter
of sleet in my mind
how lonely the human brain
that fights dementia or worse
the dull sound of shuffling feet
on the bedroom floor
tomorrow’s clothes all folded
neatly should some confusion
mar my morning memory
against the new day
this morning the chortling
of pheasants out my window
and the droning sound of bees
late for the roses
Canada geese chattering
over dewy green grass blades
hidden among autumn leaves
on the long route south
beetles have taken over
the leaf of my new rhubarb
planted in your memory
but failing to thrive
I pray now for a hard freeze
and cut out the wounded stalks…
perhaps next year this slim clump
will yield a sweet pie
late in life I understand
how memory is a burden
weighed down by what we carry
unable to go
my grandchildren have children
I wonder which stories which
family tales they will pass on…
legends for new lives
tonight I wake from sound sleep
to hear the dull sound of feet
shuffling on my bedroom floor
at that shadowed door
while once I ran long races
now short pain spikes in one knee
as I tread slowly into
another morning
Bryan Rickert
woodland stream
seed fluff finding
the current
strike marks
on the guardrail
morning mist
separate beds
cicadas cry us
to sleep
Anthony Lusardi
barbecue ribs;
the hours to cook them
the seconds they’re devoured
touch-me-not seeds--
the smack on my hand
trying to reach hers
spring winds . . .
song thrush adds a beat
cracking a snail shell
Jenny Fraser
the artistry
in accident
spilt milk
drying the sheets the tail of a cyclone
kitchen highchair
a toddler plays
foot & vowel sounds
Richa Sharma
you explain in a dream daylily
after the goodbye walnut shade
out of an indifference into another fishbowl
Oscar Luparia
2022 → 2023 (The Passage)
white butterfly…
the ephemeral dance
of two snowflakes
Christmas tree lights
the memory of my Mom
shines more
merry Christmas, sparrows!
on my balcony
little pieces of panettone (°)
(°)
panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas time.
bare tree...
if I close my eyes
green leaves in the blue
new calendar
another 365 days
to be thankful
Richard Evanoff
The light melts.
I scoop up
the darkness
in my two cold hands.
Up here
the birds chirp
slightly off-pitch.
A withered tree
creaks
in the wind.
Long night,
the next morning’s snow.
Tracks darting
this way and that.
Samantha Sirimanne Hyde & Marilyn Humbert
Earthbound
ivy cuttings
planted many years ago
so eagerly
now their aerial roots
invade the roof rafters
gravity
holds me earthbound--
each night
my mind traverses
distant planets and suns
starlit skies…
across the dam
a lone wallaby
jumps over the paddocks
to disappear into the dark
alone again
in half-light I search
for footmarks…
this loneliness of silence
before the sun rises
rural abode
I gaze at a supermoon
marvelling
at the years it has taken
to believe in myself
first sunbeams
morning glory buds
burst open--
I accept a job offer
to work overseas
Year’s End
year’s end…
all the resolutions
I didn’t keep
dust motes swirl
the calendar opens
to January
crossing names
off my address book
idle friendships
party noise
from over the fence--
I’m blackballed
social media…
she deletes her “like”
on my post
power outages
this freedom from
chat platforms
Ram Chandran
whispering mantras
the priest
takes a handful of water,
hold it for a moment
before pouring back in the river
hanging from the hut roof
a wooden lantern
spreading more shadows
than light ...no worries
outside, sparkle of fireflies sprinkles light under no moon sky
still winter night
yet
the porch wind chimes singing to the tune of moonlight
Barbara Gaiardoni
a funny bellied gentleman
known as the "cestaio"
who weaves wicker baskets
for whole days
learn the art
and put it aside
will it be true?
Daniel Birnbaum
old temple
a flag keeps slapping
a statue of god
just at its place
the crow
on the first snow
the man
bent over his cane
days getting shorter
David Mihalyov
The Horn
A sweetness borne by the breeze,
more apple blossom than cotton candy . . .
And now the sky empties itself of clouds,
the blue changing from slate to robin's egg,
a shift that happens faster than the red to green
which spurs the call of the bleating horn behind me.
Joshua St. Claire
frozen earth
the grey squirrel scrapes
the Oak Moon
plum blossoms
winter waking
white from white
distant storm
sparrows spin
through light and shadow
Farah Ali
ink blots paper crows flutter on snow
hidden treasure
within the log pile --
sleeping butterfly
the sky
snared by antlers…
a solitary stag
Wai Mei Wong
my sacred symbol
a daisy
I trace again and again
under the buddha’s forever smile
toward my nirvana
at 3 a.m.
on paper my pen gliding
knocking on the doors of my past
bringing back the smile
I lost somewhere
Christina Chin & Uchechukwu Onyedikam.
junior boxing
championship
clenched fist
hoarding all his strengths
to be a man.
Alan Bush, Geoffrey Winch & Cherrie Taylor
Speech of Morning
such Traveller’s Joy
the speech of morning sun
voluminous hedgerows - ab
sheep with short shadows
gather at their gate - gw
dandelion wishes
counting the
ways - ct
dip, dip, scarp
steep, the coolness of trees - ab
sundown
cooling down enough
to merengue the night away - gw
nightswimming
under the Sturgeon Moon - ct
Seeing Deeper
leaves start to fall
we see deeper
into the woods - gw
beneath the pines
saffron milkcaps glow - ct
beside a bole of beech
light hangs
bryony through the haw - ab
tree branches after rain
silvered by the moon - gw
collecting conkers
shiny brown nuts
get ready for the game - ct
in the tread of excuses
a puddle’s cracked reflection - ab
Muskaan Ahuja
dawn…
the milkman’s horn
in another street
Home!
an old man slaps the oxen
on its rump
a falling leaf…
I too
shed a memory
A.A. Marcoff & Joy McCall
the silence
of the water-lilies
resting
on the silence
of the dream
below
the stilling surface
after the rain
mountain minnows
in the green reeds
Mark Gilbert
distant thunder ...
seeking a pattern
in the fallen leaves
silver distance
between the clouds
cracked concrete
peace bell …
the death toll
remembered
Evan Coram
halfway through
a twelve hour shift
the cricket
ends his break
managing
expectations
nestlings
moonless
whitecaps turn black
then fade into night
B. L. Bruce
waxwings
on their brief winter visit
dawn song
such stillness
in the darkening house
new moon
winter dawn
the moon’s bone-color
in a lilac sky
Seth Copeland
orangetips lap
up crowpoison
amber dusk
a dickcissel
on barb wire
Instagram famous
year's first snow
a young bison adrift
in tallgrass
Erin Jones
Changing seasons
Halloween lights come down
Christmas lights go up
your heart should be
a kintsugi tea cup
mended with gold
more valued
for its imperfections
chill autumn night
the smell of wood smoke
lingers
Christina Chin & Linda Ludwig
sleep therapy
fresh geraniums under
grandma's pillows
the earthy scent
calls her home
in the breeze
perfumes de gardenias
fill the garden
moonlight — music
and white wine
hike trail --
the waterway overrun
with weeds
a dandelion fluff
rains wishes
Ben Gaa
morning fog
moving through the campground
the scent of coffee
sitting in the garden
mom is now
a memory
evening light
through the cafe window
passing winter coats
Giuliana Ravaglia
L'aria nuda volteggia
nel sole caldo
del mattino
dalle persiani chiuse
l'eco sommessa del dolore
The bare air swirls
in the hot sun
of the morning
from closed shutters
the soft echo of pain
Come anima di seta
s'increspa l'aria della sera
veleggiando d'immenso
veglia i sogni la luna bianca
Like a soul of silk
the evening air ripples
sailing
the immense white moon
watches over dreams
Sherry Grant
cherry on top
baby sister
gets her way
school days
her socks always
unmatched
nothing personal new year’s resolution
Roberta Beach Jacobson
morning chirps
are they warning me
of climate change
daughter's first kiss
I pray it will be
consensual
workplace safety
zero days since anything
made sense
Daipayan Nair
crowd clapping --
a JCB shovels
out the sewage
morning lane --
the thump
of an exhaust
perfect balance --
the man head-loads a basket
of dried fish
Debbie Strange
Scorched
ash-speckled,
ghost horses emerge
from the haze . . .
we offer them water
and sanctuary
rescue workers . . .
a missing dog wags
her singed tail
charred bones
of houses and cars . . .
all is lost,
except for the loving
kindness of strangers
homeless . . .
someone else's jacket
warms my heart
shell-shocked,
I sift through the rubble
of my life . . .
neighbours bring me cups
of tea and sympathy
Tony Williams
looking deep
into the heart of a pearl…
winter sky
spring equinox
a little honey
on my porridge
wearing
this season’s colours--
crocuses
Adrian Bouter
mom's recurring smile orphan moon
night wind
caught up in tree branches
and a loose tarp
missing rungs
on my way to the stars
this ladder...
Edward Cody Huddleston
whiskey moon
getting a handle
on myself
winter sunset
biting the bruise
off an apple
between the lines
of my friend's obituary
horizontal rain
Theresa A. Cancro
sea glass--
a kittiwake's call
in the spray
cracked mirror--
the clown wipes off
his smile
morning sun . . .
winter melon cools
my tongue
Jerome Berglund
angry gods’
haunted house
shrouded strobe lights
from every direction
they meet
dressed in black…
enclosed by flames
she does most
of the dancing
Anne Curran
a barefoot boy
scrunches
dry autumn leaves -
his smile as he walks
the winding pathway
the sun illuminates
a sheen of mist
in the gully -
a gnarly oak bent
over ferns and bracken
spring florals
on mother's china teacups
as pretty as can be -
I write up my invitation list
for the New Year
Neena Singh
laughing dove
my hands still hold
your warmth
camp bonfire
the night sparks stars
in your eyes
magpie-robin
sweeter than words
the song you sing
Srinivasa Rao Sambangi
fallen sandal tree
the river
and the lumberjack
wash the axe, until
it loses its fragrance
village olympics
lily pad to lily pad
a little frog jumps
sought her the way
to cherry blossoms
she disappeared
showing me
the eightfold path
Anna Cates
Phantoms
the train whistle
fades into honeysuckle
rainy autumn
bringing with it
such loneliness
in a single day
all the gingko leaves
gone!
autumn itself
such a ghost!
a moth floating
over a landmine--
sunflowers
bomb crater
covering the wound
pink yarrow
Goran Lowie
standing on the ice
you hide away
in my arms
I owe my heart
your grief-stricken
silence
an unbearable morning
sitting down
in the quiet light
Mukund Gnanadesikan
History Lesson
Cold stream’s murmur
Reminds of empty canoes
River’s Trail of Tears
The Great Migration
Lions, wildebeests
chase across the Kalahari,
all lives under siege
Mehreen Ahmed
Promise
I am the promise that cannot be broken.
I am the love that cannot be severed.
I am the dream that will not be realised.
I am the desire that will burn forever.
Robert Witmer
autumn afternoon
a child's forgotten glove
by the acorn's cockeyed cap
gathering violets
from cracks in the playground
new girl at school
raindrops
on a foggy window
cataracts over blue eyes
Shikha S. Lamba
For Shafiqa
There is no cure
for the ordinary man’s grief
other than madness.
The mind shall easier go insane
than make sense of a world
that drowns its people in their own sorrows.
(After Nadia Hashimi’s book, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell)
If what’s keeping you apart
is keeping you sane,
own the distance,
own each and every step of
that space and make it yours.
If you’re going to hide behind your silence
and cry quietly inside
remember, silent winds still carry sounds
and hollow beings still make noise.
Christopher Peys
sheep
sheep sheep
sheep sh e e p s l e e . . .
ebbing tide
we are
flowing tide
washed away
misty morning
the peaks of our hills
peek into the grey
Cristy Watson
first day of school
a voice over the loudspeaker –
the dog and I walk the perimeter
russet leaves
a season
under my feet
Ink
mosquitoes
my bloodline
continues
deer's best friend
crunchy leaves under
the predator's paws
yellowed leaves crumble
from their twisted metal bough
all that's left to say
Chen-ou Liu
one food drive
after another, another ...
Arctic cold snap
couch surfing ...
each snow-covered house
smells different
a polar plunge
the distance between us
shorter... and shorter
Birk Andersson
beyond the horizon
there is
another one
photo album
familiar
strangers
cemetery
a dead leaf
flutters away
Olivier-Gabriel Humbert
In a frozen garden
the old wheelbarrow
forgotten
at the bottom of the garden
is dressed in a coat of snow
I didn't take mine
under my steps,
the frosted brown leaves
evoke the crispness
of the bread crust:
I am hungry
picked under the snow
the last radish
from the vegetable patch
is warming me
a little too much
Ron Scully
snow squall
in the middle of the night
a change of mind
reading Lucretius
by the open window
cardinals torch the hedge
cell phone
dropped overboard
surf's static
Vipanjeet Kaur
holy dip -
ice-cold water burns
the sins of past lives
foggy morning -
outside the window
a brave dove
hibernal solstice -
in fog moving slower
than the sun
Randy Brooks
upright piano
rests on the kitchen table
a flood survivor
sunny playground
the unexpected grief from
a little girl’s laugh
purple martins
swoop around the barn
her endearments
Xenia Tran
fiddles and bows
an old man bends his tune
the highland way
clarsach concert -
in a ring of lanterns
winter woods
owl song
mother's hair as white
as the field
Govind Joshi
night stroll
scent of night jasmine
guides us home
crescent sun
the partial eclipse
in the heart
silver oak
hiding
a cuckoo's song
Cynthia Anderson
gusty day a trapeze of ravens
wind chill factor
still the sun
on my back
cloudy and cold
the dozing cat
hides his head
Mona Bedi
deep winter
I warm my hands
in your pockets…
will you be always
there for me
ash moon--
the continuous verbiage
of street dogs
when will we stop
fighting over small things
paper flowers
as I look around for
the scent of you…
an anonymous bouquet
lands on my doorstep
Paul Callus & Christina Chin
self-criticism ~
she discusses her body
with the mirror
he rolls
his eyes
breathless -
the explosive bursts
of ocean waves
the taste of salt
on my fingertips
Curt Linderman
the stairway
to heaven
led me to the
clearance floor
wings of desire
now half off
real flowers are
too much work she says
while spending
hours each & every week
rinsing the dust
off of her plastic plants
Carmela Marino
evening breeze
on the edge of the moon
my memories
milky way
the journey of breath
into myself
twinkling stars
the old year disappears
in the fog
Diana Raab
Peace
Yesterday I went to the cosmetic store
for foundation to cover acne scars
born nearly sixty years ago,
when I was approached by a beautiful
black woman who introduced herself as “Peace.”
I want that name, I told her smiling.
Sanity
Where does sanity end and insanity begin
the chasm between joy and pain
desire and lack thereof.
Live in Wonder
Must be the key to happiness.
Minal Sarosh
frozen lake
his foggy breath
speaks to me
traffic smog
a whiff of marigolds from
the flower market
cold breeze
my cat opens just an eye
when I call
Ruth Holzer
for a moment
resting on this oak trunk
our shadows
supper for one--
the insistent clinking
of a spoon
forty-ninth
wedding anniversary--
a frying pan
Luke Brannon
granddad’s memorial
the church lit up
with drinking songs
white hibiscus
how you wear the moon
in your hair
empty morning
essence of what I’m meant to be
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
deep into the umbra
i learn to
love again
arctic
this bed
without you
when the wind slows down the milkweed
Debbi Antebi
morning drizzle
dozing off to
Dostoevski
winter sun
the shadow of an oak
fills up the park
quiet night
my daughter’s breathing
a lullaby
Mike Gallagher
without nostalgia –
the good old days
remembered
eagle talons
the keyboard player
about to pounce
after rain
blackbirds stretching
elastic worms
Maria Concetta Conti
peaceful evening
in the book the story
of the soul
a break
in the war
winter starlight
quiet afternoon
in a dream
with my dad again
Tomislav Sjekloća
summer lake
long legs
of a water strider
questioning
my decisions...
spring rain
cute flight attendant
my joke
doesn't land
Susan Burch
Molasses Swamp
bogged down
with work
volleyball moon
how you set me up
to be the bad guy
quicksand losing my job
Patrick Sweeney
thawing
every rainspout
its own voice
reciting the old pond
we say 'mizu no oto'
together
crow and I
here to meet
the train
Lysa Collins
morning mist
slowly disappears
in the singing of a whale
grassy plain
the timeless need
for sunsets
rising
from a hidden pool
lilies full of stillness
Samo Kreutz
the steps
yet to be taken –
a kindergarten
world's fair
the toddler presents
newly learned word
old sweater
just a bit stretched
her mum's scent
petro c. k.
new light
cotton tails hopping
across the sky
knocking
of the baseboard heater
winter lets itself in
chef's smoke break
garnishes
the china sky
Sreenath Mysore
graffiti
on the walls
town speaks
humility -
mighty ocean
washes my feet
fishing boats
along the horizon ...
floating lamps
Katherine E Winnick
solar eclipse
within a slice of sun
a slice of moon
petals dripping
flower by flower
autumn moon
- raindrop
a pond of stillness
in Buddha's eye
Michelle V. Alkerton
grey January
hawk bares the underbelly
of a field mouse
digging deep
the black cedar
we plant for our dead
Mona Iordan
glassy sky
a black bird glides
into nothingness
impatience
the clouds pregnant
with snow
Amoolya Kamalnath
deep winter
the shape of silence
in her breast
winter chill -
a school of fish
swallows the sunlight
Doug Lanzo
Nutcracker Suite
a pod of seals
swirl through strands of kelp
symphony of sound
raindrops filtered
through forest canopy
tea house fountains
misted scent flowing
through gardens of mint
Family
struck by illness
love
binding
siblings
assist one another
advanced in age
children
take turn
looking after
her
New Year's day
with gratitude
they find
comfort
having family
french cat
sitting idly
glaring Eva Do
modeling
on the floor
against the mirror Tuyet Van Do
black coat
with white socks
she blinks a hello Emi Do
Marjorie Buettner
Thomas Chockley
Into Another Morning
at the beginning of night
one lone bird's migrating song
and now at the very end
passing autumn rain
longing for missing birdsong
this early gray break of day
instead the clitter clatter
of sleet in my mind
how lonely the human brain
that fights dementia or worse
the dull sound of shuffling feet
on the bedroom floor
tomorrow’s clothes all folded
neatly should some confusion
mar my morning memory
against the new day
this morning the chortling
of pheasants out my window
and the droning sound of bees
late for the roses
Canada geese chattering
over dewy green grass blades
hidden among autumn leaves
on the long route south
beetles have taken over
the leaf of my new rhubarb
planted in your memory
but failing to thrive
I pray now for a hard freeze
and cut out the wounded stalks…
perhaps next year this slim clump
will yield a sweet pie
late in life I understand
how memory is a burden
weighed down by what we carry
unable to go
my grandchildren have children
I wonder which stories which
family tales they will pass on…
legends for new lives
tonight I wake from sound sleep
to hear the dull sound of feet
shuffling on my bedroom floor
at that shadowed door
while once I ran long races
now short pain spikes in one knee
as I tread slowly into
another morning
Bryan Rickert
woodland stream
seed fluff finding
the current
strike marks
on the guardrail
morning mist
separate beds
cicadas cry us
to sleep
Anthony Lusardi
barbecue ribs;
the hours to cook them
the seconds they’re devoured
touch-me-not seeds--
the smack on my hand
trying to reach hers
spring winds . . .
song thrush adds a beat
cracking a snail shell
Jenny Fraser
the artistry
in accident
spilt milk
drying the sheets the tail of a cyclone
kitchen highchair
a toddler plays
foot & vowel sounds
Richa Sharma
you explain in a dream daylily
after the goodbye walnut shade
out of an indifference into another fishbowl
Oscar Luparia
2022 → 2023 (The Passage)
white butterfly…
the ephemeral dance
of two snowflakes
Christmas tree lights
the memory of my Mom
shines more
merry Christmas, sparrows!
on my balcony
little pieces of panettone (°)
(°)
panettone is an Italian type of sweet bread originally from Milan, usually prepared and enjoyed for Christmas time.
bare tree...
if I close my eyes
green leaves in the blue
new calendar
another 365 days
to be thankful
Richard Evanoff
The light melts.
I scoop up
the darkness
in my two cold hands.
Up here
the birds chirp
slightly off-pitch.
A withered tree
creaks
in the wind.
Long night,
the next morning’s snow.
Tracks darting
this way and that.
Samantha Sirimanne Hyde & Marilyn Humbert
Earthbound
ivy cuttings
planted many years ago
so eagerly
now their aerial roots
invade the roof rafters
gravity
holds me earthbound--
each night
my mind traverses
distant planets and suns
starlit skies…
across the dam
a lone wallaby
jumps over the paddocks
to disappear into the dark
alone again
in half-light I search
for footmarks…
this loneliness of silence
before the sun rises
rural abode
I gaze at a supermoon
marvelling
at the years it has taken
to believe in myself
first sunbeams
morning glory buds
burst open--
I accept a job offer
to work overseas
Year’s End
year’s end…
all the resolutions
I didn’t keep
dust motes swirl
the calendar opens
to January
crossing names
off my address book
idle friendships
party noise
from over the fence--
I’m blackballed
social media…
she deletes her “like”
on my post
power outages
this freedom from
chat platforms
Ram Chandran
whispering mantras
the priest
takes a handful of water,
hold it for a moment
before pouring back in the river
hanging from the hut roof
a wooden lantern
spreading more shadows
than light ...no worries
outside, sparkle of fireflies sprinkles light under no moon sky
still winter night
yet
the porch wind chimes singing to the tune of moonlight
Barbara Gaiardoni
a funny bellied gentleman
known as the "cestaio"
who weaves wicker baskets
for whole days
learn the art
and put it aside
will it be true?
Daniel Birnbaum
old temple
a flag keeps slapping
a statue of god
just at its place
the crow
on the first snow
the man
bent over his cane
days getting shorter
David Mihalyov
The Horn
A sweetness borne by the breeze,
more apple blossom than cotton candy . . .
And now the sky empties itself of clouds,
the blue changing from slate to robin's egg,
a shift that happens faster than the red to green
which spurs the call of the bleating horn behind me.
Joshua St. Claire
frozen earth
the grey squirrel scrapes
the Oak Moon
plum blossoms
winter waking
white from white
distant storm
sparrows spin
through light and shadow
Farah Ali
ink blots paper crows flutter on snow
hidden treasure
within the log pile --
sleeping butterfly
the sky
snared by antlers…
a solitary stag
Wai Mei Wong
my sacred symbol
a daisy
I trace again and again
under the buddha’s forever smile
toward my nirvana
at 3 a.m.
on paper my pen gliding
knocking on the doors of my past
bringing back the smile
I lost somewhere
Christina Chin & Uchechukwu Onyedikam.
junior boxing
championship
clenched fist
hoarding all his strengths
to be a man.
Alan Bush, Geoffrey Winch & Cherrie Taylor
Speech of Morning
such Traveller’s Joy
the speech of morning sun
voluminous hedgerows - ab
sheep with short shadows
gather at their gate - gw
dandelion wishes
counting the
ways - ct
dip, dip, scarp
steep, the coolness of trees - ab
sundown
cooling down enough
to merengue the night away - gw
nightswimming
under the Sturgeon Moon - ct
Seeing Deeper
leaves start to fall
we see deeper
into the woods - gw
beneath the pines
saffron milkcaps glow - ct
beside a bole of beech
light hangs
bryony through the haw - ab
tree branches after rain
silvered by the moon - gw
collecting conkers
shiny brown nuts
get ready for the game - ct
in the tread of excuses
a puddle’s cracked reflection - ab
Muskaan Ahuja
dawn…
the milkman’s horn
in another street
Home!
an old man slaps the oxen
on its rump
a falling leaf…
I too
shed a memory
A.A. Marcoff & Joy McCall
the silence
of the water-lilies
resting
on the silence
of the dream
below
the stilling surface
after the rain
mountain minnows
in the green reeds
Mark Gilbert
distant thunder ...
seeking a pattern
in the fallen leaves
silver distance
between the clouds
cracked concrete
peace bell …
the death toll
remembered
Evan Coram
halfway through
a twelve hour shift
the cricket
ends his break
managing
expectations
nestlings
moonless
whitecaps turn black
then fade into night
B. L. Bruce
waxwings
on their brief winter visit
dawn song
such stillness
in the darkening house
new moon
winter dawn
the moon’s bone-color
in a lilac sky
Seth Copeland
orangetips lap
up crowpoison
amber dusk
a dickcissel
on barb wire
Instagram famous
year's first snow
a young bison adrift
in tallgrass
Erin Jones
Changing seasons
Halloween lights come down
Christmas lights go up
your heart should be
a kintsugi tea cup
mended with gold
more valued
for its imperfections
chill autumn night
the smell of wood smoke
lingers
Christina Chin & Linda Ludwig
sleep therapy
fresh geraniums under
grandma's pillows
the earthy scent
calls her home
in the breeze
perfumes de gardenias
fill the garden
moonlight — music
and white wine
hike trail --
the waterway overrun
with weeds
a dandelion fluff
rains wishes
Ben Gaa
morning fog
moving through the campground
the scent of coffee
sitting in the garden
mom is now
a memory
evening light
through the cafe window
passing winter coats
Giuliana Ravaglia
L'aria nuda volteggia
nel sole caldo
del mattino
dalle persiani chiuse
l'eco sommessa del dolore
The bare air swirls
in the hot sun
of the morning
from closed shutters
the soft echo of pain
Come anima di seta
s'increspa l'aria della sera
veleggiando d'immenso
veglia i sogni la luna bianca
Like a soul of silk
the evening air ripples
sailing
the immense white moon
watches over dreams
Sherry Grant
cherry on top
baby sister
gets her way
school days
her socks always
unmatched
nothing personal new year’s resolution
Roberta Beach Jacobson
morning chirps
are they warning me
of climate change
daughter's first kiss
I pray it will be
consensual
workplace safety
zero days since anything
made sense
Daipayan Nair
crowd clapping --
a JCB shovels
out the sewage
morning lane --
the thump
of an exhaust
perfect balance --
the man head-loads a basket
of dried fish
Debbie Strange
Scorched
ash-speckled,
ghost horses emerge
from the haze . . .
we offer them water
and sanctuary
rescue workers . . .
a missing dog wags
her singed tail
charred bones
of houses and cars . . .
all is lost,
except for the loving
kindness of strangers
homeless . . .
someone else's jacket
warms my heart
shell-shocked,
I sift through the rubble
of my life . . .
neighbours bring me cups
of tea and sympathy
Tony Williams
looking deep
into the heart of a pearl…
winter sky
spring equinox
a little honey
on my porridge
wearing
this season’s colours--
crocuses
Adrian Bouter
mom's recurring smile orphan moon
night wind
caught up in tree branches
and a loose tarp
missing rungs
on my way to the stars
this ladder...
Edward Cody Huddleston
whiskey moon
getting a handle
on myself
winter sunset
biting the bruise
off an apple
between the lines
of my friend's obituary
horizontal rain
Theresa A. Cancro
sea glass--
a kittiwake's call
in the spray
cracked mirror--
the clown wipes off
his smile
morning sun . . .
winter melon cools
my tongue
Jerome Berglund
angry gods’
haunted house
shrouded strobe lights
from every direction
they meet
dressed in black…
enclosed by flames
she does most
of the dancing
Anne Curran
a barefoot boy
scrunches
dry autumn leaves -
his smile as he walks
the winding pathway
the sun illuminates
a sheen of mist
in the gully -
a gnarly oak bent
over ferns and bracken
spring florals
on mother's china teacups
as pretty as can be -
I write up my invitation list
for the New Year
Neena Singh
laughing dove
my hands still hold
your warmth
camp bonfire
the night sparks stars
in your eyes
magpie-robin
sweeter than words
the song you sing
Srinivasa Rao Sambangi
fallen sandal tree
the river
and the lumberjack
wash the axe, until
it loses its fragrance
village olympics
lily pad to lily pad
a little frog jumps
sought her the way
to cherry blossoms
she disappeared
showing me
the eightfold path
Anna Cates
Phantoms
the train whistle
fades into honeysuckle
rainy autumn
bringing with it
such loneliness
in a single day
all the gingko leaves
gone!
autumn itself
such a ghost!
a moth floating
over a landmine--
sunflowers
bomb crater
covering the wound
pink yarrow
Goran Lowie
standing on the ice
you hide away
in my arms
I owe my heart
your grief-stricken
silence
an unbearable morning
sitting down
in the quiet light
Mukund Gnanadesikan
History Lesson
Cold stream’s murmur
Reminds of empty canoes
River’s Trail of Tears
The Great Migration
Lions, wildebeests
chase across the Kalahari,
all lives under siege
Mehreen Ahmed
Promise
I am the promise that cannot be broken.
I am the love that cannot be severed.
I am the dream that will not be realised.
I am the desire that will burn forever.
Robert Witmer
autumn afternoon
a child's forgotten glove
by the acorn's cockeyed cap
gathering violets
from cracks in the playground
new girl at school
raindrops
on a foggy window
cataracts over blue eyes
Shikha S. Lamba
For Shafiqa
There is no cure
for the ordinary man’s grief
other than madness.
The mind shall easier go insane
than make sense of a world
that drowns its people in their own sorrows.
(After Nadia Hashimi’s book, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell)
If what’s keeping you apart
is keeping you sane,
own the distance,
own each and every step of
that space and make it yours.
If you’re going to hide behind your silence
and cry quietly inside
remember, silent winds still carry sounds
and hollow beings still make noise.
Christopher Peys
sheep
sheep sheep
sheep sh e e p s l e e . . .
ebbing tide
we are
flowing tide
washed away
misty morning
the peaks of our hills
peek into the grey
Cristy Watson
first day of school
a voice over the loudspeaker –
the dog and I walk the perimeter
russet leaves
a season
under my feet
Ink
mosquitoes
my bloodline
continues
deer's best friend
crunchy leaves under
the predator's paws
yellowed leaves crumble
from their twisted metal bough
all that's left to say
Chen-ou Liu
one food drive
after another, another ...
Arctic cold snap
couch surfing ...
each snow-covered house
smells different
a polar plunge
the distance between us
shorter... and shorter
Birk Andersson
beyond the horizon
there is
another one
photo album
familiar
strangers
cemetery
a dead leaf
flutters away
Olivier-Gabriel Humbert
In a frozen garden
the old wheelbarrow
forgotten
at the bottom of the garden
is dressed in a coat of snow
I didn't take mine
under my steps,
the frosted brown leaves
evoke the crispness
of the bread crust:
I am hungry
picked under the snow
the last radish
from the vegetable patch
is warming me
a little too much
Ron Scully
snow squall
in the middle of the night
a change of mind
reading Lucretius
by the open window
cardinals torch the hedge
cell phone
dropped overboard
surf's static
Vipanjeet Kaur
holy dip -
ice-cold water burns
the sins of past lives
foggy morning -
outside the window
a brave dove
hibernal solstice -
in fog moving slower
than the sun
Randy Brooks
upright piano
rests on the kitchen table
a flood survivor
sunny playground
the unexpected grief from
a little girl’s laugh
purple martins
swoop around the barn
her endearments
Xenia Tran
fiddles and bows
an old man bends his tune
the highland way
clarsach concert -
in a ring of lanterns
winter woods
owl song
mother's hair as white
as the field
Govind Joshi
night stroll
scent of night jasmine
guides us home
crescent sun
the partial eclipse
in the heart
silver oak
hiding
a cuckoo's song
Cynthia Anderson
gusty day a trapeze of ravens
wind chill factor
still the sun
on my back
cloudy and cold
the dozing cat
hides his head
Mona Bedi
deep winter
I warm my hands
in your pockets…
will you be always
there for me
ash moon--
the continuous verbiage
of street dogs
when will we stop
fighting over small things
paper flowers
as I look around for
the scent of you…
an anonymous bouquet
lands on my doorstep
Paul Callus & Christina Chin
self-criticism ~
she discusses her body
with the mirror
he rolls
his eyes
breathless -
the explosive bursts
of ocean waves
the taste of salt
on my fingertips
Curt Linderman
the stairway
to heaven
led me to the
clearance floor
wings of desire
now half off
real flowers are
too much work she says
while spending
hours each & every week
rinsing the dust
off of her plastic plants
Carmela Marino
evening breeze
on the edge of the moon
my memories
milky way
the journey of breath
into myself
twinkling stars
the old year disappears
in the fog
Diana Raab
Peace
Yesterday I went to the cosmetic store
for foundation to cover acne scars
born nearly sixty years ago,
when I was approached by a beautiful
black woman who introduced herself as “Peace.”
I want that name, I told her smiling.
Sanity
Where does sanity end and insanity begin
the chasm between joy and pain
desire and lack thereof.
Live in Wonder
Must be the key to happiness.
Minal Sarosh
frozen lake
his foggy breath
speaks to me
traffic smog
a whiff of marigolds from
the flower market
cold breeze
my cat opens just an eye
when I call
Ruth Holzer
for a moment
resting on this oak trunk
our shadows
supper for one--
the insistent clinking
of a spoon
forty-ninth
wedding anniversary--
a frying pan
Luke Brannon
granddad’s memorial
the church lit up
with drinking songs
white hibiscus
how you wear the moon
in your hair
empty morning
essence of what I’m meant to be
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
deep into the umbra
i learn to
love again
arctic
this bed
without you
when the wind slows down the milkweed
Debbi Antebi
morning drizzle
dozing off to
Dostoevski
winter sun
the shadow of an oak
fills up the park
quiet night
my daughter’s breathing
a lullaby
Mike Gallagher
without nostalgia –
the good old days
remembered
eagle talons
the keyboard player
about to pounce
after rain
blackbirds stretching
elastic worms
Maria Concetta Conti
peaceful evening
in the book the story
of the soul
a break
in the war
winter starlight
quiet afternoon
in a dream
with my dad again
Tomislav Sjekloća
summer lake
long legs
of a water strider
questioning
my decisions...
spring rain
cute flight attendant
my joke
doesn't land
Susan Burch
Molasses Swamp
bogged down
with work
volleyball moon
how you set me up
to be the bad guy
quicksand losing my job
Patrick Sweeney
thawing
every rainspout
its own voice
reciting the old pond
we say 'mizu no oto'
together
crow and I
here to meet
the train
Lysa Collins
morning mist
slowly disappears
in the singing of a whale
grassy plain
the timeless need
for sunsets
rising
from a hidden pool
lilies full of stillness
Samo Kreutz
the steps
yet to be taken –
a kindergarten
world's fair
the toddler presents
newly learned word
old sweater
just a bit stretched
her mum's scent
petro c. k.
new light
cotton tails hopping
across the sky
knocking
of the baseboard heater
winter lets itself in
chef's smoke break
garnishes
the china sky
Sreenath Mysore
graffiti
on the walls
town speaks
humility -
mighty ocean
washes my feet
fishing boats
along the horizon ...
floating lamps
Katherine E Winnick
solar eclipse
within a slice of sun
a slice of moon
petals dripping
flower by flower
autumn moon
- raindrop
a pond of stillness
in Buddha's eye
Michelle V. Alkerton
grey January
hawk bares the underbelly
of a field mouse
digging deep
the black cedar
we plant for our dead
Mona Iordan
glassy sky
a black bird glides
into nothingness
impatience
the clouds pregnant
with snow
Amoolya Kamalnath
deep winter
the shape of silence
in her breast
winter chill -
a school of fish
swallows the sunlight
Doug Lanzo
Nutcracker Suite
a pod of seals
swirl through strands of kelp
symphony of sound
raindrops filtered
through forest canopy
tea house fountains
misted scent flowing
through gardens of mint
Tanshi Art
Debbie Strange
Michelle V. Alkerton
