Autumn Moon Haiku Journal
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Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, Volume 4:1, Autumn-Winter 2020-2021

12/13/2020

 
Welcome to this Fall/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. Very recently, people around the world have noticed climate change as manifested in the destruction of natural spaces on Earth and produced by human activity and population growth. According to the well-known British naturalist David Attenborough, wild natural spaces are diminishing. There is an increase in hurricanes and wildfires around the globe, and resulting destruction of human living space. This year has also brought a pandemic of COVID virus and resulting undermining of many important social activities as some of the haiku poets in this current issue have addressed. Also in this current issue, there are many excellent haiku addressing mortality and impermanence, a number of them with philosophic undertones. A recent documentary on the well-known beautiful Australian coral reefs by an oceanographer wondered about the recent dying of some of these coral reefs. What he discovered was that the reefs depended upon the soundscapes that were near them. He therefore recorded that soundscape in its various sections and played them near the dying coral reefs. The result was that these reefs revived and looked as beautiful as they were before. As for flowers, which are cherished by humans for their beauty, in Japan from the beginning of haiku, dictionaries were formulated to record the seasonal growth of the natural world. The haiku itself was formulated upon the poets’ appreciation and sense of such particular beauty.
                                                                                                                                           Bruce Ross, December 2020

              
autumn trees –
the village market
on its off day

àwọn igi ẹ̀rùn –
ọjà abúlé náà 
ní ọjọ́ kòfo 
           Oluwasegun Oluseyi Adesina, Nigeria

                                                                                                                                  wind again . . .
                                                                                                                                  alchechengi lantern
                                                                                                                                  on my doorstep

                                                                                                                                  ancora vento . . .
                                                                                                                                  lanterna di alchechengi 
                                                                                                                                  sulla mia soglia
                                                                                                                                             Elisa Allo, Switzerland

kaleidoscope
the clink of autumn colors
settling in place
           an’ya, USA

                                                                                                                                   lockdown
                                                                                                                                   the face of the moon
                                                                                                                                   still shining

                                                                                                                                   carantină
                                                                                                                                   chipul lunii
                                                                                                                                   încă sclipind
                                                                                                                                                Cristina Apetrei, Romania

                                                                                           twilight tracks
                                                                                           from the homeless shelter
                                                                                           hunger moon

                                                                                          western wind
                                                                                          rearranging the pattern
                                                                                          fallen leaves
                                                                                                          Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA

unraked leaves –
life on the verge
of annihilation

غیر مجتمع پتے -
زندگی فنا ہونے
کے قریب
             Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan

                                                                                                                                  deep winter
                                                                                                                                  the intimacy
                                                                                                                                  of stars

                                                                                                                                  there
                                                                                                                                  in this silence
                                                                                                                                  with leaves
                                                                                                                                               Joanna Ashwell, UK

                                                                                        autumn eve
                                                                                        swans glide
                                                                                        into the moon
                                                                                                       Susan B. Auld, USA

windstorm . . .
a soutane hanging
on a minaret

ìjì ńlá . . .
sùtánà sokọ́
sóri asóró

autumn wind . . .
an olive tree falls
by half

atẹ́gùn ọyẹ́ . . .
igi ólífì ṣubú
dá méjì

rustling leaves –
the intermittent sound
of father’s newspaper

rírún ewé –
dídún ní lemọ́lemọ́
ìwe ́ìròyìn bàbá
             Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawi), Nigeria

                                                                                                                                Foggy autumn day
                                                                                                                                a piece of colorful dress
                                                                                                                                hanging on barbed wire

                                                                                                                                Jesen u magli
                                                                                                                                na bodljikavoj žici
                                                                                                                                šarena krpa
                                                                                                                                              Katica Badovinac, Croatia

cancer
erasing the color of his skin
autumn’s end
             R.D. Bailey, Jamaica

                                                                                                                                autumn loneliness . . .
                                                                                                                                the old scarecrow
                                                                                                                                a good listener
                                                                                                                                              Saumya Bansal, India

                                                          rain dropping all pretense
                                                                                       Aaron Barry, Canada

I want to learn
the thoughts of fireflies
in the September dusk
             Michael Battisto, USA

                                                                                                                                  Lauds
                                                                                                                                  through the abbey windows
                                                                                                                                  black-capped chickadees

                                                                                                                                  trimming beans
                                                                                                                                  I count
                                                                                                                                  my blessings
                                                                                                                                                   Maxianne Berger, Canada

dark grass
on the spider’s web
frost hardens

dunkles Gras
auf dem Spinnennetz
härtet Frost aus
                   Bisshie, Switzerland

                                                                                                                                  gnarly tree
                                                                                                                                  the apples are small and crooked
                                                                                                                                  yet so, so sweet

                                                                                                                                  knorriger Baum
                                                                                                                                  die Äpfel sind klein und krumm
                                                                                                                                  doch so, so süss
                                                                                                                                            Benjamin Blaesi, Switzerland

frozen bog
the only sound on
the mountain
              E.L Blizzard, USA

                                                                                                                                  harvest time –
                                                                                                                                  singing in the sun
                                                                                                                                  a local herb seller
                                                                                                                                                Meik Blöttenberger, USA

deep into autumn . . .
thinking about that moment
when everything changed
           Ed Bremson, USA

                                                                                                                                   snow field
                                                                                                                                   a scarecrow
                                                                                                                                   salutes the wind
                                                                                                                                                 Alanna C. Burke, USA

sudden thunder . . .
jumping here and there
pomegranate grains

tuono improvviso . . .
schizzano di qua e di là
chicchi di melograno

quiet chattering
of yellowed leaves . . .
empty benches

chiacchiericcio
di foglie ingiallite . . .
panchine vuote
             Lucia Cardillo, Italy

                                                                                knowing how clouds
                                                                                move along mountains
                                                                                 this place called home

                                                               cicadas become september rain
                                                                                                                Matthew Caretti, USA

a dream
I want to remember
morning’s chai tea

the heavens . . .
a wild pony
. . . nodding
        Anna Cates, USA

                                                                                                                                  trails in the snow
                                                                                                                                  in each enough room
                                                                                                                                  for the moonlight

                                                                                                                                  stope u snijegu
                                                                                                                                  baš u svaku stane
                                                                                                                                  mjesečina
                                                                                                                                         Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia
 
 
on this night
i truly travel alone –
snow falling
 
dreary sky –
one of us needs to cheer up –
winter clouds
          Vernon Chain, USA
 
 
                                                                                                                                   from next room
                                                                                                                                   the muted sound of bangles . . .
                                                                                                                                   hazy moon
                                                                                                                                               Kanchan Chatterjee, India
 
                                                                                         mountain cabin
                                                                                         the sound of winter
                                                                                         approaching
                                                                                                        Hemapriya Chellappan, India
 
farewell gift
on the old maple tree
first red leaf
 
pożegnalny dar
pierwszy czerwony liść
na starym klonie
 
Autumn drizzle
twitches of the horse’s ears
shake off the droplets
 
jesienna mżawka
drganie końskich uszu
strząsa kropelki
          Marta Chociłowska, Poland

                                                                                                                                  a bright spark
                                                                                                                                  wanders in her eyes
                                                                                                                                   harvest moon

                                                                                                                                   jasna iskra
                                                                                                                                  wędruje w jej oczach
                                                                                                                                   jesienna pełnia
                                                                                                                                                  Sebastian Chrobak, Poland

                                         where the mulberry’s fruit have been . . . autumn
                                                                                                        martin gottlieb cohen, USA

away, wild geese
we’ve stayed too long
in autumn

autumn moon
the grasshopper left
by the harvester

autumn sunset
holding its fading red
corn poppies
          Sue Colpitts, Canada

                                                                                    barefoot
                                                                                    waiting for a spider to leave
                                                                                    the stepping stone

                                                                                   a horse trailer
                                                                                   with one board missing
                                                                                   red leaves
                                                                                                        Bill Cooper, USA

                                                                                                                                    Full moon rising . . .
                                                                                                                                    Down to the last page the book
                                                                                                                                     keeps its secret

                                                                                                                                      Aufgehender Vollmond . . .
                                                                                                                                      Bis zur letzten Seite wahrt
                                                                                                                                      das Buch sein Geheimnis
                                                                                                                                                     Beate Conrad, Germany

autumn equinox
just enough breeze
to turn a page

Canada geese
the way they divide
an autumn sky
           Susan Constable, Canada

                                                                                                                                   full moon
                                                                                                                                   all that’s left
                                                                                                                                   ash and urn
                                                                                                                                           Vera Constantineau, Canada

me and the silence
the last leaf is about
to fall

io e il silenzio 
l’ultima foglia 
sta per cadere

a certainty
of finding nothing
sudden storm

la certezza 
di non trovare nulla 
temporale improvviso 
           Maria Concetta Conti, Italy

                                                                                                                                   arms outstretched
                                                                                                                                   baby gathers in
                                                                                                                                   the harvest moon

                                                                                                                                   I awoke and knew
                                                                                                                                   the snow was falling
                                                                                                                                   a lightness of heart
                                                                                                                                                  Ronald K. Craig, USA

white moon –
my restless desire
to explore beyond
            Anne Louise Curran, New Zealand

                                                                                                                                   mom’s urn
                                                                                                                                   my cosmos
                                                                                                                                   in suspense

                                                                                                                                   урната на мама
                                                                                                                                   моят космос
                                                                                                                                   приземен
                                                                                                                                          Maya Daneva, Canada/Bulgaria

autumn lockdown
a family gathering
of mushrooms
           Tracy Davidson, UK

                                                                                                                                   forest ferns
                                                                                                                                   brushed by moonlight . . .
                                                                                                                                   the drizzle of autumn rain

                                                                                                                                    descent into darkness . . .
                                                                                                                                    the last bigleaf maple
                                                                                                                                    falls to the ground
                                                                                                                                                 elehna de sousa, Canada

first logs
in the hearth the sound
of cicadas

premières bûches 
dans l’âtre le son 
des cigales 
 
watching
Malevich’s white square
silently
 
regarder
le carré de Malevich
en silence

chocolate money
at thirty bucks I stop –
night of quarantine
 
euros en chocolat
à trente balles j’arrête –
soir de quarantaine
         Marie Derley, Belgium

                                                                                                                                  late winter . . .
                                                                                                                                  a light rain
                                                                                                                                 wets the roses

                                                                                                                                  fine inverno . . .
                                                                                                                                  una pioggia sottile
                                                                                                                                  bagna le rose
                                                                                                                                            Rosa Maria Di Salvatore, Italy

far peak
a tad of snow glints
on, glints off

impossible to count
all the falling yellow leaves
six parrots in the elm
              Jan Dobb, Australia

                                                                                                                                  in a wolf’s eyes
                                                                                                                                  trapped in the cage –
                                                                                                                                  the autumn moon

                                                                                                                                  U očima vuka
                                                                                                                                   zarobljen u kavezu –
                                                                                                                                   jesenji mesec
                                                                                                                                                Zoran Doderović, Serbia

                                                                                           rustling leaves
                                                                                           my joints grow
                                                                                           a little stiffer
                                                                                                         Carmela Dolce, USA

end of summer
in the old caravan remain
only the stars

края на лятото
в старата каравана остават
само звездите
          Radostina A. Dragostinova, Bulgaria

                                                                                                                                    warm colours
                                                                                                                                     in the old photo –
                                                                                                                                     autumn

                                                                                                                                     culori calde
                                                                                                                                     în fotografia veche –
                                                                                                                                     toamna

                                                                                                                                    autumn moon –
                                                                                                                                    my first ink
                                                                                                                                    painting

                                                                                                                                    luna de toamnă –
                                                                                                                                    prima mea pictură 
                                                                                                                                    în cerneală 
                                                                                                                                                   Ana Drobot, Romania

                                                                                        meditation garden
                                                                                        Buddha’s statue rings
                                                                                        from a fallen acorn
                                                                                                      John J. Dunphy, USA

loneliness –
through the closed window
an autumn message

singurătate –
prin fereastra închisă
mesaj de toamnă

melancholy –
under golden leaves
crickets’ song

melancolie –
sub frunzele de aur
cântec de greieri
            Carmen Duvalma, Romania

                                                                                                                                  moonlight
                                                                                                                                   hallelujah
                                                                                                                                   hallelujah
                                                                                                                                         David Käwika Eyre, USA

their argument
more like music
juncos
           Seren Fargo, USA

                                                                                                                                   a crow calls
                                                                                                                                   through the mist
                                                                                                                                   autumn chill
                                                                                                                                              Susan Farmer, USA

autumn mourning
inside my hands
words left unsaid
          Marisa Fazio, Australia

                                                                                                                                  the buck and I
                                                                                                                                  share the same moon
                                                                                                                                  autumn path
                                                                                                                                            Bruce H. Feingold, USA

arbor moon
the last grape
on the vine

scattered farms
connected
by a crow
             Jeffrey Ferrara, USA

                                                                                           wind sweeping
                                                                                           leaves from the pavement
                                                                                           leftover cough

                                                                                           wiatr zmiata
                                                                                           liście z chodnika
                                                                                           pozostał kaszel
                                                                                                        Agnieszka Filipek, Ireland/Poland

full moon
I am here and you are there
together

pełnia księżyca
ja tu a ty tam
razem
 
full moon
did my daughters turn off
the bedside lamps?
 
pełnia księżyca
czy moje córki zgasiły
nocne lampki?
 
in deep silence . . .
over my grandmother’s grave
autumn butterfly
 
głęboka cisza
nad grobem mojej babci
jesienny motyl
 
cold morning
in the newspaper
my professor’s obituary
 
chłód
w porannej gazecie
nekrolog mojego profesora
          Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland
 
                                                                                                                                  wind chimes –
                                                                                                                                  hanging patiently
                                                                                                                                  indoors
                                                                                                                                               B.A. France, USA

her gold rimmed fan –
autumn light falls through
a blackbird’s wing

Sunday winter noon
I slip
into grace
           Jenny Fraser, New Zealand

                                                                                                                                  setting sun
                                                                                                                                  i brush the leaves
                                                                                                                                  off her headstone
                                                                                                                                               Jay Friedenberg, USA

November
just a mistletoe left
on a birch tree

studeni
na brezi ostala
tek imela
        Željko Funda, Croatia

                                                                                                                                  ice moon
                                                                                                                                  i become the silence
                                                                                                                                  of the pond

                                                                                                                                  moonrise
                                                                                                                                  the white tops
                                                                                                                                  of toadstools
                                                                                                                                               Ben Gaa, USA

crickets . . .
leaf by leaf,
the evening shadows
          Joshua Gage, USA

                                                                                                                                  sheltering in place
                                                                                                                                  on a bed of pine needles –
                                                                                                                                  sleeping kitten
                                                                                                                                                 Jerome Gagnon, USA

 winter beach
 this young man’s dreams
 gone with the wind
              William Scott Galasso, USA

                                                                                                                                      fuchsia
                                                                                                                                      petals hanging on
                                                                                                                                      for first frost

                                                                                                                                       that time of year –
                                                                                                                                       the sycamore leaves
                                                                                                                                       teased into colour
                                                                                                                                                    Mike Gallagher, Ireland

                                                                                          autumn night –
                                                                                 where the street ends
                                                                                            oh fireflies

                                                                                       noche de otoño –
                                                                                    donde acaba la calle
                                                                                         oh cucubanos

                                                                                               fall rain –
                                                                                    in the pine forest
                                                                                         the old house

                                                                                     lluvia de otoño –
                                                                              en el bosque de pinos
                                                                                        la casa vieja

                                                                                           an acorn
                                                                                  is what I found –
                                                                                       winter field

                                                                                         una bellota
                                                                         es lo que he encontrado –
                                                                                    campo invernal
                                                                                                      Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic

His name
Still engraved so deeply . . .
Dandelion in the wind

Jego imię
Wciąż wyryte tak głęboko...
Dmuchawiec na wietrze
           Anna Goluba, Poland

                                                                                                                                   she takes another
                                                                                                                                   anxiety pill to sleep
                                                                                                                                   frost moon
                                                                                                                                                John S Green, USA

rescuer’s hand
in the autumn sky
earthquake rubble

güz semasında
kurtarıcının eli
deprem enkazı
          Engin Gülez, Turkey
 
                                                                                                                                  autumn sunshine
                                                                                                                                  walking through
                                                                                                                                  the maple leaves
                                                                                                                                                Dorna Hainds, USA
 
autumn breeze
turning through the leaves
the last butterfly
 
autumn sunset
so difficult to write
about happiness
 
late autumn frost
spider webs string together
a necklace of stars
              John Hawkhead, UK
 
                                                                                                                                 corn moon
                                                                                                                                 a cobbled path
                                                                                                                                 to the harvest
                                                                                                                                     Diane Allen Hemingway, USA
 
momentary
snow feathers
on the skylight
 
isshun
yuki no hane
tenmado ni
 
一瞬
雪の羽
天窓に
 
aluminum pie pans
still scare the crows
empty cornfield
 
arumi paipan
mada carasu o odokasu
kara no tomorokoshibatake
 
アルミ パイパン
まだ 烏 を 脅かす
空 の ともろこし畑
                 Judith Hishikawa, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  becoming
                                                                                                                                  the wind
                                                                                                                                  starlings
                                                                                                                                              Jeff Hoagland, USA
 
 
autumn sky
a green leaf cradled
on the streambed
               Frank Hooven, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 still dawn
                                                                                                                                 a kayaker’s paddle
                                                                                                                                 swirls fog
 
                                                                                                                                 outside my window
                                                                                                                                 a spider weaves gold
                                                                                                                                 winter sun
                                                                                                                                              Louise Hopewell, Australia
 
 
beyond my window
Sirius tracks down the moon
covid isolation
 
crowded mall
shoppers eyes smiling
behind masks

fallen leaves
crackle on the track
covid restrictions ease

water runnels
over mossy stones
the silence
             Marilyn Humbert, Australia
 
 
                                                                                                                                  autumn moon
                                                                                                                                  testing the thickness
                                                                                                                                  of cloud cover
 
                                                                                                                                  above
                                                                                                                                  a swathe of low-lying mist
                                                                                                                                  the morning star
                                                                                                                                                Erica Ison, UK
 
 
stormy sea –
into the old lighthouse
only the full moon
 
mare-n furtună –
în vechiul far mai urcă
doar luna plină
              Dan Iulian, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                   autumn diary
                                                                                                                                   the weight of her old age
                                                                                                                                   in her loneliness
                                                                                                                                                   Lakshmi Iyer, India
 
 
drifting by
the autumn moon
a red canoe
 
sprouting
from leafless branches
blackbirds
         Rick Jackofsky, USA
 
 
                                                                                                                                  keeping up
                                                                                                                                  with the stars
                                                                                                                                  skipping stones
                                                                                                                                                Elmedin Kadric, Sweden
 
 
                                                                                        Sharing a night
                                                                                        the light switched off
                                                                                         with crickets
 
                                                            灯を消してちちろと夜を共にせり
                                                    hi wo keshite chichiro to yoru o tomoni seri
 
                                                                                        Evening rain
                                                                                        not enough to quell
                                                                                insects’ voices
 
                                                                虫の声鎮めぬほどの雨の夕
                                               mushi no koe shizumenu hodo no ame no yu
                                                                                                                             Satoru Kanematsu, Japan
 
 
fresh cement –
the fallen leaf
falling forever
 
autumn wind –
did you get stronger
since last year?
          Skylar Kay, Canada
 
 
                                                                                                                                   dead end
                                                                                                                                   where the woods
                                                                                                                                   begin
 
                                                                                                                                   beads of rain
                                                                                                                                   on a leafless branch
                                                                                                                                   my morning prayer
                                                                                                                                                Bill Kenney, USA
 
 
hot day in autumn
one turkey vulture soaring
above another
 
forest morning
spots on a fawn
not yet faded
 
regarding the bird
through its shadow
autumn ramble
             Craig Kittner, USA
 
 
                                                                                                                                    harvest moon
                                                                                                                                    twisting half a peach
                                                                                                                                    from its stone
 
                                                                                                                                  ice crystals
                                                                                                                                  the swaying of pine trees
                                                                                                                                  in low winter sun
 
                                                                                                                                  winter hike –
                                                                                                                                  the smell of woodsmoke
                                                                                                                                  at trail’s end
                                                                                                                                                kjmunro, Canada
 
 
As the days grow short
And the rush of man persists
The yellow leaf falls
 
Dani prolaze
Ljudska žurba nastavlja
Žuti list je pao
          Valentino Klarić, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                                   city lights
                                                                                                                                   from separate hilltops
                                                                                                                                   you and I
 
                                                                                                                                   storm front
                                                                                                                                   the way your voice quivers
                                                                                                                                   when you care
 
                                                                                                                                   winter grave
                                                                                                                                   a handful of frozen
                                                                                                                                   carnations
                                                                                                                                            Deborah P Kolodji, USA
 
 
autumn moonlight –
a homeless man falls asleep
on his own shadow
 
jesienny blask księżyca –
bezdomny zasypia
na własnym cieniu
          Marek Kozubek, Poland

                                                                                                                                  deepening sky
                                                                                                                                  each falling leaf
                                                                                                                                  adding blue

                                                                                                                                   winter bus stop
                                                                                                                                   the breaths of strangers
                                                                                                                                   one cloud
              
                                                                                                                                   autumn dusk
                                                                                                                                   just enough light
                                                                                                                                   to see geese cross the sky
                                                                                                                                                  Jeff Kressman, USA

huge house
not high enough to stop
a leaf in the wind

listič med letom
niti ogromna zgradba
ga ne zaustavi

snowy path
I pause to inhale
the tranquility

zasnežena pot
nebrzdano vdihujem
spokojnost sveta
             Samo Kreutz, Slovenia

                                                                                                                                    autumn
                                                                                                                                    caressed by the sun
                                                                                                                                    the last rose

                                                                                                                                     jesen
                                                                                                                                     suncem pomilovana
                                                                                                                                     zadnja ruža
                                                                                                                                                    Gordana Kurtović, Croatia

                                                                               acorn caps –
                                                                               she counts her collection
                                                                               into the honey jar

                             grandfather’s armchair facing the backyard . . . winter nesting
                                                                                                                                Barrie Levine, USA

                                                                                                                                 January thaw . . .
                                                                                                                                 a mallard sails free
                                                                                                                                 of an eddy
                                                                                                                                             Kristen Lindquist, USA

window display
the blush of autumn sunset
on her masked face

櫥窗陳列
在她戴面罩的臉上
秋天的夕陽紅

a tow truck
pulling another
first snowfall

一輛拖車
費力拖著另一輛
首次降雪
          Chen-ou Liu, Canada

                                                                                                                                   will I still be here
                                                                                                                                   when next spring comes
                                                                                                                                   reddening leaves
                                                                                                                                                 Amy Losack, USA
 
 
under the roof
the swallows nest filled –
a family of sparrows

spodi krova
gnezdo laste spunila –
obitel vrapcov     
           
pod krovom
lastino gnijezdo popunila –
obitelj vrabaca      
           Vladimir Ludvig, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                                  late rise . . .
                                                                                                                                  the moon above
                                                                                                                                  the prison wall
                                                                                                                                                Ajaya Mahala, India
 
 
still remembering
childhood homecoming
grandma’s chestnuts crackling
 
ainda me lembro
regresso a casa da infância
as castanhas da avó a crepitar
            Mónica Margaride, Portugal
 
 
                                                                                                                                   how much the earth
                                                                                                                                   still to be trampled on?
                                                                                                                                   autumn clouds
 
                                                                                                                                   quanta la terra
                                                                                                                                   ancora da calpestare?
                                                                                                                                   nubi d'autunno 
                                                                                                                                                 Carmela Marino, Italy
 

Midnight
On my horse’s back
The autumn moon
           Amy Marshall, New Zealand

                                                                                                                                  acorn caps
                                                                                                                                  for cups
                                                                                                                                  her first tea
                                                                                                                                              Scott Mason, USA

The mice,
Circumspect in their searching,
A perfect moonlight
             Trelise McEwan, New Zealand

                                                                                                                                    unusually late
                                                                                                                                    outside with the neighbors
                                                                                                                                    as a comet blazes
                                                                                                                                                   Robin Mayhall, USA

Fireworks
An old war veteran
hugs his dog

Fuegos de artificio
Un viejo veterano de guerra
abraza a su perro
              Lía Miersch, Argentina

                                                                                                                                  scarlet firethorn . . .
                                                                                                                                  the fluted notes
                                                                                                                                  of the hermit thrush

                                                                                                                                  street market
                                                                                                                                  all the colours of autumn
                                                                                                                                  in the pumpkin-seller’s stall
                                                                                                                                                   Mark Miller, Australia

late autumn –
a golden leaf
on the wedding ring

toamnă târzie –
o frunză aurie
pe verighetă
          Mihai Moldoveanu – Mirco, Romania
 

                                                                                                                                   October light
                                                                                                                                   everywhere
                                                                                                                                   ghost pumpkins
 
                                                                                                                                   colorless nights
                                                                                                                                   no longer hearing
                                                                                                                                   the insects cry
                                                                                                                                                Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA
 
 
                                                                                           harvest fair
                                                                                           corn dollies for sale
                                                                                           arms beckoning
                                                                                                        Joanne Morcom, Canada
 
 
turning up the collar
of my quilted jacket . . .
low hangs the moon
 
alzo il bavero
della giacca imbottita
pende bassa la luna
            Luciana Moretto, Italy
 
 
                                                                                                                                  winter light
                                                                                                                                   the permanence
                                                                                                                                   of longing
 
                                                                                                                                   last year’s fruit
                                                                                                                                   weighted by snow
                                                                                                                                   winter robins
                                                                                                                                                Laurie D. Morrissey, USA
 
 
autumn migration
a whale fluke enters
the rising moon
           Ron Moss, Australia
 
 
                                                                                                                                  the sound of the treadle
                                                                                                                                  from Nonna’s sewing machine
                                                                                                                                  autumn rain
                                                                                                                                            Angela Naccarato, Canada
 
 
                                                                                            hunter’s moon
                                                                                            on the widow’s porch
                                                                                            a stray tom
                                                                                                       Nika, Canada
 
autumn hill –
a monk tears another page
in his diary
 
Òkè ìgbà ìwọ́wé –
Àlùfáà jà awẹ́ míràn
nínú ìwé-iranti
             Tolulope Ogedengbe, Nigeria
 
 
                                                                                                                                 emptiness
                                                                                                                                 can be divided
                                                                                                                                 winter plovers
                                                                                                                                                 our thomas, USA
 
 
                                                                                      frozen creek
                                                                                      a memory lingers
                                                                                      on the kissing bridge
                                                                                                          Roland Packer, Canada
 
dirt road drive
drenched in silence –
autumn moon
 
midnight frost
upon the prairie grass
the endless starlight
 
magpies pick
the last red tree fruit –
harvest moon
            Scott Packer, Canada
 
 
                                                                                         clear cut
                                                                                         a woodpecker forages
                                                                                         sideways
                                                                                                    Lorraine A. Padden, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 my soft footfalls
                                                                                                                                 on the library floor
                                                                                                                                 Mid-October
                                                                                                                                             Melissa Patterson, USA
 
 
grave visiting
a dash separates
the same dates
 
posjet groblju
crtica razdvaja
iste datume
           Sanela Pliško, Croatia 
 
 
                                                                                                                                   behind the mountain
                                                                                                                                   the moon slowly disappears –
                                                                                                                                   monk deep in prayer

                                                                                                                                   derrière la montagne
                                                                                                                                   la lune s’évanouit lentement –
                                                                                                                                   moine en prière
                                                                                                                                                   Nicole Pottier, France
 
equinox sun . . .
an orb-weaver
reaches its centre
 
haul y gyhydnos…
y corryn yn cyrraedd
canol y we

clifftop path
my breath a breeze
from here to there
            Thomas Powell, Wales
 
 
                                                                                                                                  my need
                                                                                                                                   to meditate
                                                                                                                                   autumn moon
 
                                                                                                                                   evening silence
                                                                                                                                   the autumn moon
                                                                                                                                   closer than ever
                                                                                                                                                   Patricia Prime, New Zealand
 
across the field
pieces of scarecrow
spin in the wind

autumn chill
the fly dressed
in spider silk
            Carol Raisfeld, USA
 
 
                                                                                                                                  growing
                                                                                                                                  day by day your absence . . .
                                                                                                                                   scent of drying leaves
                                                                                                                                                 Milan Rajkumar, India
 
brown dragonfly
on a dried grass stem
autumn begins
             Dian Duchin Reed, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  raking leaves
                                                                                                                                  my neighbor and I wave
                                                                                                                                   keeping our distance
 
                                                                                                                                   winter whiteout
                                                                                                                                   not seeing where we’re going
                                                                                                                                   where we have been
 
                                                                                                                                   silence
                                                                                                                                   before the snowstorm
                                                                                                                                   deepening
                                                                                                                                                  Edward J. Rielly, USA
 
autumn is passing –
all is said in a letter
that does not arrive
 
jesen odmiče –
u pismu što ne stiže
sve je rečeno
         Dragan Ristić, Serbia
 
                                                                                                                                  tender moon
                                                                                                                                  a threadbare butterfly
                                                                                                                                  in baby’s cradle
                                                                                                                                              Cynthia Rowe, Australia
 
COVID coexistence –
to wash and disinfect
full harvest moon
 
suživot s koronavirusom -
oprati i dezinficirati
puni jesenji mjesec
         Đurđa Vukelić Rožić, Croatia

                                                                                                                                   a great log
                                                                                                                                   in the river rolls over . . .
                                                                                                                                   autumn moon
                                                                                                                                                 Timothy Russell, USA

autumn full moon
a child wonders why
it doesn’t fall

rustle of leaves . . .
no point remembering
the old songs
              Srinivas S, India

                                                                                                                                   crow’s footprints
                                                                                                                                   the wind slowly
                                                                                                                                   shifts the sand

                                                                                                                                    in the fall
                                                                                                                                    the weight
                                                                                                                                    of a raindrop
                                                                                                                                            Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India

mid-day sun
winter mountains
unravel slowly
          Bona M. Santos, USA

                                                                                                                                  day moon
                                                                                                                                  deep in the milkweed
                                                                                                                                   monarch eggs
                                                                                                                                               Agnes Eva Savich, USA

definite darkness . . .
the porch light’s swaying
to uncertain direction

gelap pekat ...
lampu beranda berayun
arah tak tentu
           Ken Sawitri, Indonesia

                                                                                           falling leaf . . .
                                                                                           for the briefest moment
                                                                                           it soars
                                                                                                         Greg Schwartz, USA

                                                                                                                                   row of hayrounds
                                                                                                                                   the one that lifts
                                                                                                                                   into the night sky

                                                                                                                                  covering her perennials
                                                                                                                                  against the frost
                                                                                                                                  All Saint’s Day
                                                                                                                                           Julie Schwerin, USA

blessings
in mother’s smile –
Dashain festival*
*national Nepalese autumn festival celebrated by receiving blessings from elders

winter dusk . . .
the fading sound
of temple bells
            Manoj Sharma, Nepal

                                                                                                                                  west to east
                                                                                                                                   this autumn moon
                                                                                                                                   an enso
                                                                                                                                             Lakshmi Sheth, Dubai

                                                                                      A full moon
                                                                                      lighting every house
                                                                                      on the zenith

                                                                     どの家も照らす満月天心に    
                                                          dono ie mo terasu mangetsu tenshin ni

                                                                                     Fallen ginkgo nuts –
                                                                                     a male ginkgo tree stands
                                                                                     at a short distance

                                                                    銀杏落つ少し離れて雄株立つ   
                                                              ichyo otsu sukosi hanarete okabu tatsu
                                                                                                               Kyoko Shimizu, Japan

footbridge
covered with autumn leaves
water lily pond

пешеходен мост
покрито с есенни листа
езеро с лилии

sunny afternoon
on a bench facing the sun
autumn leaves

слънчев слеобед
на пейка обърната към слънцето
есенни листа

snowstorm
in the apple tree
chanting bells

снежна буря
на ябълковото дърво
звънтят камбанки
               Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria

                                                                                     last night’s rain,
                                                                               the first light of day
                                                                                      on the drops.

                                                                                 Lluvia de anoche,
                                                                            la primera luz del día
                                                                                   sobre las gotas.
                                                                                                Leticia Sicilia, Spain

                                                                                                                                   autumn noon
                                                                                                                                   the light and shadow
                                                                                                                                   of birdsong

                                                                                                                                   autumn dusk
                                                                                                                                   a cricket’s love trill
                                                                                                                                   in fading light
                                                                                                                                                   Neena Singh, India

twilit garden –
the gauzy wings
of a mosquito

bare branches . . .
a spider launches itself
into the storm

roadside weed –
its seedheads point
to the stars
           Barbara Strang, New Zealand

                                                                                                                                  ashfall
                                                                                                                                  the missing river
                                                                                                                                  of heaven

                                                                                                                                  the emptiness
                                                                                                                                  of a mermaid’s purse . . .
                                                                                                                                  rusted hull
                                                                                                                                                 Debbie Strange, Canada

                                                                                        last year’s struggles . . .
                                                                                        just one breath
                                                                                        rights the bug
                                                                                                      Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan

breaking dawn
two pairs of sandals
on the mosque steps

menjelang fajar 
dua pasang sendal 
di tangga masjid 

mother’s last words
fallen snow
on maple leaves

ucapan terakhir ibu 
butiran salju 
di atas daun maple 
           Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia


                                                                                                                                  autumn moon
                                                                                                                                  shaky gossamer traps
                                                                                                                                  from twig to twig
                                                                                                                                               Barbara A. Taylor, Australia

early fall –
the sunlit centers of
purple asters

October wind –
leaf shadows on the wall
of the empty house

autumn leaves
without a whisper
of wind song
           Angela Terry, USA

                                                                                                                                  turning into
                                                                                                                                  and out of ice
                                                                                                                                  winter pond
                                                                                                                                               Jennifer Thiermann, USA

year’s end –
the temple bell
in a slow fade

bristlecone pine –
shapes of wind frozen
in layered snow
           Richard Tice, USA

                                                                                                                                  what’s the use
                                                                                                                                  of the rush . . .
                                                                                                                                  city moon

                                                                                                                                  untuk apa
                                                                                                                                  tergesa . . .
                                                                                                                                  bulan di atas kota
                                                                                                                                               Elisa Theriana, Indonesia

 a curving beach
 one crab’s raised pincers
 pierce autumn fog
          Carrie Ann Thunell, USA

                                                                                                                                  first frost –
                                                                                                                                  popping pumpkin seeds
                                                                                                                                  in mother’s frypan

                                                                                                                                  eerste vorst –
                                                                                                                                  ploffende pompoenpitten 
                                                                                                                                  in moeders bakpan
                                                                                                                                     Corine Timmer, Portugal/The Netherlands

stormy rain –
the lullaby by Mozart
on the radio

ropot de ploaie –
cântec de leagăn de Mozart
la radio

Snowstorm in the village –
grandma spins the wool
murmuring a song

Furtună de zăpadă în sat –
bunica toarce lână
murmurând un cântec
          Maria Tirenescu, Romania

                                                                                                                                   all souls’ night
                                                                                                                                   my great-grandparents
                                                                                                                                   play in the snow
                                                                                                                                             Xenia Tran, Scotland

autumnal stars
the unexpected pleasure
of a nightingale

harvesting light
one memory at a time
autumn moon
          Kevin Valentine, USA

                                                                                                                                    sleepless night
                                                                                                                                    the stream rocks a pebble
                                                                                                                                     back and forth

                                                                                                                             slapeloze nacht
                                                                                                                                    de stroom wiegt een steentje
                                                                                                                                    heen en weer
                                                                                                                                           Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands

missing you in ways
I never thought I would
blue moon
          Christine L. Villa, USA

                                                                                                                                  evening walk
                                                                                                                                  a young deer rustles
                                                                                                                                  between stray thoughts

                                                                                                                                   changing seasons
                                                                                                                                   a blue heron on a rock
                                                                                                                                   going nowhere
                                                                                                                                                 Mary Vlooswyk, Canada

pumpkin cupcakes . . .
in grandma’s recipe book
a stain still full of flavor

brioșe cu dovleac . . .
o pată încă aromată
în rețetarul bunicii
          Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania

                                                                                                                                  sun through icicles
                                                                                                                                  the spirit of my brother
                                                                                                                                  in a blue jay’s call

                                                                                                                                  scent of pine
                                                                                                                                  the fire’s long shadows
                                                                                                                                  spinning the dreidel
                                                                                                                                            Althea Rowe Watson, USA

mist rises
weight of moonlight on the wetlands
deep autumn
          David Watts, USA

                                   autumn mountains touching the limitless blue sky
                                                                                       Elaine Wilburt, USA

a leaf falls
past an open window
first day of school

clouds of breath
a winter sun burns away
the eulogy

late winter
an icicle drips
on an empty mailbox
           Robert Witmer, Japan

                                                                                                                                  tree limb
                                                                                                                                  encased in ice
                                                                                                                                  what I keep to myself
                                                                                                                                          Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA

peace
earth embraces
a leaf

memorial
an acorn found
with her jewelry

another autumn
the moon moves its way
through the dark

zen garden
the storm wears away
some stone
         Jann Wright, USA

                                                                                                                                  moon at the bottom
                                                                                                                                  of the swift and gurgling stream
                                                                                                                                  shines as a coin

                                                                                                                                  månen längst ner 
                                                                                                                                  av den snabba och gurglande strömmen 
                                                                                                                                  lyser som ett mynt 
                                                                                                                                              Konstantin Yakimchuk, Sweden

a golden leaf . . .
reminds me of
his hazel eyes
 
ورقةٌ ذهبيّةٌ . . .
تُذكِّرُني
بعينيهِ العسليتينِ
 
une feuille dorée . . .
me fait penser à
ses yeux noisette 
           Hassane Zemmouri, Algeria

                                                                                                                                  scooping water
                                                                                                                                  moonlight drips off
                                                                                                                                  her fingers
                                                                                                                                             John Zheng, USA

Autumn Moon Haiku Contest 2020

11/14/2020

 
                                                                                    First Prize:
                                                                                              dried sunflower
                                                                                              the beauty of
                                                                                              a brief life
                                                                                                             Meik Blöttenberger, USA
This is a subtle meditation on beauty and impermanence.
 
                                                                                   Second Prize:
                                                                                             an ancient path
                                                                                             in a sky without time
                                                                                             departing geese
                                                                                                              Carol Raisfeld, USA
A deep meditation on the natural world.
 
                                                                                   Third Prize:
                                                                                            a lone boat
                                                                                            amid a river of stars
                                                                                            crescent moon

                                                                                             con thuyền lẻ loi
                                                                                            giữa dòng tinh tú
                                                                                            vầng trăng khuyết
                                                                                                                 Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Vietnam
A deep experience of mystery and stillness.
 
 
                                                  Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):
 
                                                                                           wild asters
                                                                                           nodding in the wind
                                                                                           all we hold dear
                                                                                                             Maxianne Berger, Canada
 
                                                                                           moonlit lake
                                                                                           renewing my faith
                                                                                           in infinity
                                                                                                             Helen Buckingham, UK
 
                                                                                          autumn stillness
                                                                                          as if I were part of
                                                                                          the void
                                                                                                          Jenny Fraser, New Zealand
 
                                                                                          eighty autumns . . .
                                                                                          her fingers remembering
                                                                                          the first quinces
 
                                                                                          osamdeset jeseni...
                                                                                          njeni prsti se prisjećaju
                                                                                          prvih dunja
                                                                                                            Goran Gatalica, Croatia
 
 
                                                                                           miscarriage . . .
                                                                                           how long this autumn
                                                                                           of my womb
                                                                                                            Arvinder Kaur, India
 
                                                                                          autumn loneliness
                                                                                          a windfall of red maples
                                                                                          on her kimono
                                                                                                            Mohammad Azim Khan, Pakistan
 
 
                                                                                         skipping stone
                                                                                         the autumn pond
                                                                                         restoring the clouds
 
                                                                                          în urma pietrei
                                                                                          iazul de toamnă
                                                                                          reface norii
                                                                                                             Eduard Ţară, Romania

Best of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, Volume 3 (3:1 and 3:2)

7/11/2020

 
                                                                     Haiku Moment Award

                                                                                seeking
                                                                                mother’s hidden light
                                                                                star magnolia
                                                                                                      Martha Magenta, UK
 A very subtly expressed feeling of longing of the poet for her mother.
 
                                                        Runners-Up (in alphabetical order):

                                                                            cows settle
                                                                           deeper in their shadows
                                                                           autumn moon
                                                                                              Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA
A perfectly expressed moment in autumn.
 
                                                                           all we’ve forgotten . . .
                                                                           the honeysuckle
                                                                           in winter
                                                                                                Mark E. Brager, USA
A simply stated insight into winter.
 
                                                                           Early dawn -
                                                                           into my dream breaks
                                                                           a cawing crow
                                                                          明易や烏の声に夢破れ
                                                            Akeyasuya karasu no koe ni yume yabure
                                                                                                       Satoru Kanematsu, Japan
 A modern turn on classic Japanese crow haiku.
 
 
                                             Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):

beaver moon -
what is left behind
in this windswept field

سنگ آبی مہتاب
اس باد زدہ میدان میں
کیا باقی بچا ہے
            Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
 
autumn deepens . . .
meerkats in the pile
of yellowed leaves

ẹ̀rún múlẹ̀ . . .
àwọn ẹmọ́ àfè nínu
ẹ̀rẹ́ẹ́lẹ̀ ewé
          Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy), Nigeria
 
frozen waterfalls
on a roadside cliff -
the silence between us
          Susan Constable, Canada
 
climate change
on the merchant’s stall
no pumpkin smiles

accords sur le climat
sur l’étal les potirons
n’ont pas le sourire
          Marie Derley, Belgium
 
autumn wind
bristled the spines
of a hedgehog

Jesenji vetar
nakostrešio
bodlje ježa
          Zoran Doderović, Croatia
 
wind storm -
Norfolk pines hold up
the Milky Way
          Lorin Ford, Australia
 
crabapples
in moonlight . . .
first frost
海棠月色映初霜
          David He, People’s Republic of China

dandelion tea -
the more bitter taste
of this spring

ceai de păpădie -
gustul mai amar
al acestei primăveri
           Mirela Brăilean, Romania
 
life in a puddle chasing a cloud
               Jeff Ferrara, USA
 
Coronavirus.
Quarantine. Tell it to
the nightingale

Coronavirus.
Cuarentena. Digànselo
al ruiseñor.
               Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic

Autumn Moon Haiku Journal volume 3:2, Spring/Summer 2020

6/14/2020

 
Welcome to the spring/summer 2020 issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. This issue and our world are dominated by the coronavirus pandemic which has led directly to many deaths. Yet this journal and the mode of presenting haiku poets’ responses to this situation is a means of overcoming the so-called lockdown, despite the quarantine’s required masks and social distancing rules. The significance of haiku to resolve or lighten this condition is in its opening of a deep feeling of the poet with a heightened moment with other people and with nature and the universe as a whole, including the central spring season word in Japan, sakura (cherry blossoms). In many cultures the spring equinox is also recognized and celebrated. Haiku poetry also highlights a heightened emotion of various kinds by a given observation within that emotion. The focuses of this issue’s haiku more or less resemble haiku conceived under less troubling times and, in fact, might help overcome some of the current time’s troubling conditions. The haiku in this issue do this by focusing on myriad moments of experience that they may have under more untroubled times: cherry blossoms, the spring equinox, the moon, the sun, clouds, rainbows, wildflowers, farm animals, forests, rain, lightening, ocean, wild vegetables, moss on a stone, stars, sunshine, wild birds, pet birds, newborn bird chicks, sunshine, frogs, empty train stations, footprints, grass, insect sounds, friends and family, and whatever comes to a poet’s mind in a focused or entranced mind, or both. The so-called haiku moment has a magical elevating quality. Here is a good description of it by the New Zealand short story writer Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) from one of her stories: “Wind moving through the grass so that the grass quivers. This moves me with an emotion I don’t even understand.” Even in uncertain times the haiku moment can awaken you in a positive way and remove the overpowering struggle with, for example, the pandemic, at least for a moment. Comparing the haiku in earlier issues of this journal, this issue shows a less deep connection of the kind referred to by Mansfield. Nonetheless, it is wonderful what the poets came up with despite the pandemic. All in all, an impressive group of world haiku rising above the troubling time. 
 
Bruce Ross, June 2020
 
a lark –
crosses the river
the echo of its song

una allodola -
attraversa il fiume
l’eco del canto

all equal
the cherry blossoms
along the journey

tutti uguali
i fiori di ciliegio
lungo il viaggio
                  Vincenzo Adamo, Italy
 
                                                                                                                               the surprise
                                                                                                                               passing another key worker
                                                                                                                               in morning light

                                                                                                                               chaffinch call
                                                                                                                               a brief burst
                                                                                                                               of sunshine
                                                                                                                                               Joanna Ashwell, UK
 
August night
the depth
of a bullfrog’s song
                          Susan Auld, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 spring equinox -
                                                                                                                                weaverbirds carrying grasses
                                                                                                                                 to the tree

                                                                                                                                  ọ̀gìnìtì -
                                                                                                                                  àwọn ẹyẹ ẹ̀gà ń gbé koríko
                                                                                                                                  lọ sórí igi

                                                                                                                                 first rain . . .
                                                                                                                                 the village kids hold out
                                                                                                                                  their palms

                                                                                                                                  òjò àkọ́kọ́ . . .
                                                                                                                                  àwọn ọmọ oko tẹ́wọ́
                                                                                                                                  síwájú

                                                                                                                                  hot noon . . .
                                                                                                                                  the shadow of a waterbird
                                                                                                                                  shades a baby crab

                                                                                                                                  ọ̀sán pọ́n ganrí . . .
                                                                                                                                  òjìjí ẹyẹ ọ̀sìn ràgàbo
                                                                                                                                  ọmọ akàn
                                                                                                                                                 Taofeek Ayeyemi, Nigeria
 
lockdown
the silence releases
a blue heron

lockdown
de stilte laat
een blauwe reiger vrij
                       Michael Baeyens, Belgium
 
                                                                                                                                  moon shadows
                                                                                                                                  through lace curtains
                                                                                                                                  her perfume flasks

                                                                                                                                  street festival
                                                                                                                                  a little girl tap dancing
                                                                                                                                  her dolly
                                                                                                                                                  Maxianne Berger, Canada
 
sweltering noon
the swing sways
empty
               Bisshie, Switzerland
 
                                                                                                                                full nest -
                                                                                                                                all the loved ones
                                                                                                                                in my heart

                                                                                                                                  cuib plin
                                                                                                                                  toţi cei dragi
                                                                                                                                  în inima mea

                                                                                                                                  dandelion tea -
                                                                                                                                  the more bitter taste
                                                                                                                                  of this spring

                                                                                                                                 ceai de păpădie -
                                                                                                                                 gustul mai amar
                                                                                                                                 al acestei primăveri
                                                                                                                                                 Mirela Brăilean, Romania
 
trees blooming -
at the window the city disappears
little by little

copaci care înfloresc -
la fereastră oraşul dispare
puţin câte puţin
                   Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                   mockingbird
                                                                                                                                   the vicissitudes
                                                                                                                                   of summer rain

                                                                                                                                   passion fruit
                                                                                                                                   smell of the sea
                                                                                                                                   in the rain
                                                                                                                                                Matthew Caretti, USA
 
savoring
the quietness I feel -
forest bathing
                Vernon Chain, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 naïve painting -
                                                                                                                                 the colors of the woods
                                                                                                                                come from the rainbow

                                                                                                                                pictură naivă -
                                                                                                                                culorile pădurii
                                                                                                                                vin din curcubeu
                                                                                                                                                   Vasile Cojocaru, Romania
 
driftwood
a cormorant floats
through the mist

a ridge of sand
the length of our house
ants ants ants

a wall
of wild roses
starlit night
                  Susan Constable, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                   alighting on a branch
                                                                                                                                   what does the cuckoo know
                                                                                                                                   of today?
                                                                                                                                                 Risё Daniels, USA
 
spring horizon
a newborn foal
finds its balance

summer haze
the greenish-purple
color of figs
             Carmela Dolce, USA
 
                                                                               dandelion in breeze
                                                                               an orphan girl reaching out to
                                                                               her new mom and dad

                                                                              прецъфтяло глухарче
                                                                              сираче протяга ръчички
                                                                              към новите мама и татко

                                                                              setting sun
                                                                              in dad’s coin collection
                                                                              summer solstice

                                                                              заник
                                                                              в колекцията от монети на татко
                                                                              лятно слънцестоене
                                                                                                    Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria
 
before
I had a name
wildflowers

finding my way
past midnight . . .
spring stars
               Rebecca Drouilhet, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  supermarket
                                                                                                                                  shopper removes her mask
                                                                                                                                  to sniff a melon

                                                                                                                                 sacrament of penance
                                                                                                                                 penitent whispers her sins
                                                                                                                                 through a mask
                                                                                                                                                      John J. Dunphy, USA
 
cherry blossoms -
tightly embracing
our shadows

flori de cireş -
strâns îmbrăţişate
umbrele noastre
                Carmen Duvalma, Romania
 
                                                                                the moon is still
                                                                         the shade
                                                                         is hushed

                                                                            maluhia ka mahina
                                                                        kahi malu
                                                                         e malu ai
                                                                                                     David Eyre, USA (Hawai’i)
 
                                                                         the ebb and flow
                                                                         of prairie grasses -
                                                                         flight of a goldfinch

                                                just enough light remaining vee of geese
                                                                                                                    Seren Fargo, USA
 
                                                              life in a puddle chasing a cloud
                                                                                                                    Jeff Ferrara, USA
 
                                                                                                                             a tipsy man
                                                                                                                             lifts his hat and bows -
                                                                                                                             cherry blossoms

                                                                                                                             raven fledglings -
                                                                                                                             the many ways black birds
                                                                                                                             look at me
                                                                                                                                           Lorin Ford, Australia
 
silence inside me
only the spring raindrops
keep falling

cisza we mnie
słychać tylko krople
wiosennego deszczu
                 Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland
 
                                                                             Coronavirus.
                                                                             Quarantine. Tell it to
                                                                              the nightingale

                                                                              Coronavirus.
                                                                              Cuarentena. Digànselo
                                                                              al ruiseñor.

                                                                              Cigüiriyines
                                                                              que pìan desde el alba.
                                                                              La primavera.

                                                                             Cigüiriyines*
                                                                             they chirp since dawn -
                                                                             Spring.
                                                                                                                   *diminutive name for cigua, national bird of the Dominican Republic
                                                                                         Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic
 
summer lightning -
our cat leaps
from the bookshelf

ljetna munja  -
naša mačka skače
s police za knjige  
               Goran Gatalica, Croatia
 
                                                                           cherry blossoms now
                                                                           on my bedroom
                                                                           calendar

                                                                           hana akari
                                                                           shinshitsu no kabe
                                                                           carendaru

                                                                           花明かり
                                                                           寝室 の 壁
                                                                           カレンダー
 
                                                                          はなあかり
                                                                         しんしつ の かべ
                                                                          カレンダー

                                                                          young mourning dove
                                                                          selects her breakfast
                                                                          mud flats

                                                                         wakai mohato
                                                                         kanojo no chōshoku o erabu
                                                                         higata
 
                                                                         若い 喪鳩  
                                                                         彼女 の 朝食 を 撰ぶ
                                                                        干潟

                                                                         わかい もはと
                                                                         かのじょ  の ちょそく を えらぶ
                                                                         ひがた
                                                                                                              Judith Hishikawa, USA
 
                                  summer dusk frogsong overtakes birdsong
 
                                                                                                                                 dark-eyed juncos
                                                                                                                                 roil up roadside dust
                                                                                                                                 a glowing dawn
                                                                                                                                                     Gary Hittmeyer, USA
 
cottage ceiling -
sunlight carries
the stream’s ripples
                  Frank Hooven, USA
 
                                                                                                                                   vernal equinox -
                                                                                                                                   a cascade of sparkles
                                                                                                                                   fall from the big dipper

                                                                                                                                   starless nights -
                                                                                                                                   time of Covid-19
                                                                                                                                   self-isolation

                                                                                                                                   afternoon nap
                                                                                                                                   sunshine colours
                                                                                                                                   her cheeks
                                                                                                                                            Marilyn Humbert, Australia
 
deserted train station
no one to hear the grass
growing between rails

gară pustie
cine să audă iarba
crescând printre şine
                  Mona Iordan, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                 Spring blossom
                                                                                                                                 it’s come and gone
                                                                                                                                 without a sound
                                                                                                                                                        Erica Ison, UK
 
In isolation -
only the flowering cherry
knocks on my window

În izolare -
doar cireşul înflorit
îmi bate în geam

Coronavirus -
but the cherry blossoms
are just as beautiful

Coronavirus -
dar florile de cireş
la fel de frumoase

Forgotten easel -
through the open window
the song of blackbird

Şevalet uitat -
prin fereastra deschisă
cântecul mierlei
                 Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                   on the road
                                                                                                                                   to Genbaku Dome
                                                                                                                                   cherry blossoms
                                                                                                                                                      Rick Jackofsky, USA
 
                                                                            Early dawn -
                                                                            into my dream breaks
                                                                            a cawing crow

                                                                  明易や烏の声に夢破れ
                                              Akeyasuya karasu no koe ni yume yabure

                                                                            Midday nap -
                                                                            awaken safely back
                                                                            on this planet

                                                    昼寝覚め無事に戻りてこの星に
                                            hirunezame bujini modorite konohoshi ni
                                                                                              Satoru Kanematsu, Japan
 
darker
after every puddle -
child’s footprints
                   Skylar Kay, Canada
 
                                                                                                                               deserted playground
                                                                                                                               one swing
                                                                                                                               still swinging
                                                                                                                                                  kjmunro, Canada
 
counting days
in lavender growth
this time alone

another day
of not knowing
clouds
                Deborah P Kolodji, USA
 
                                                                                                                                    sunlit stained glass -
                                                                                                                                    a pheasant crosses
                                                                                                                                    the rusty railways

                                                                                                                                    vitraž na suncu -                                
                                                                                                                                    fazan prelazi preko                             
                                                                                                                                    hrđavih tračnica     
                                                                                                                                                 Nina Kovačić, Croatia
 
head of tide
a kingfisher patrols upriver
and back

summer rain
strange cries of a peacock
from the old pine
            Kristen Lindquist, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                                                                          shelter in place -
                                                                                                                                 a faraway look on the face
                                                                                                                                 of a street boy

                                                                                                                                                                                                         在家避難
                                                                                                                                 一名街頭小孩臉上
                                                                                                                                遠望的神情
                                                                                                                                                 Chen-ou Liu, Canada
 
seeking
mother’s hidden light
star magnolia
                Martha Magenta, UK
 
                                                                                                                            early spring
                                                                                                                            new lavender
                                                                                                                            among old
                                                                                                                                         Margaret Mahony, Australia
 
ocean
a taste of salt
in the rain

vid havet
smaken av salt
i regnet

dawn
a chick still
in its egg

gryning
en kyckling stilla
i sitt ägg
            Anna Maris, Sweden
 
                                                                                                                                with the stream’s song
                                                                                                                                a new unfurling
                                                                                                                                of fiddleheads

                                                                                                                                clouded moon
                                                                                                                                the river fades back
                                                                                                                                to black
                                                                                                                                           Marietta McGregor, Australia
 
on the stone
tender moss is growing
no longer lonely

Crece el musguito . . .
Ya no siente la piedra
tantas ausencias
                Lía Miersch, Argentina
 
                                                                                                                                 spring again
                                                                                                                                 in my old heart
                                                                                                                                 a new love

                                                                                                                                 primăvară iar
                                                                                                                                 în inima mea bătrână
                                                                                                                                 o nouă iubire

                                                                                                                                 among blossoming trees
                                                                                                                                 a dry one
                                                                                                                                 with a chirping nest

                                                                                                                                 printre copacii înfloriţi
                                                                                                                                 unul uscat
                                                                                                                                 cu un cuib ciripind
                                                                                                                                                 Victoria Milescu, Romania
 
soft summer grass
naming our own
constellations
                Ben Moeller-Gaa, USA
 
                                                                                                                                campfire -
                                                                                                                                the gaps among the stars
                                                                                                                                filled with smoke

                                                                                                                                foc de tabără -
                                                                                                                                golurile dintre stele
                                                                                                                                umplute cu fum
                                                                                                                                               Vasile Moldovan, Romania
 
every night of Lent
my sister’s voice
through the dark

my mother smiles
talking about her first crush
super pink moon
                 Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  old aspen
                                                                                                                                  new shoots rise
                                                                                                                                  from forgotten roots
                                                                                                                                               Mike Montreuil, Canada
 
new moon
thinner than hair . . .
I miss my father

la luna nuova
più fina di un capello . . .
mi manca mio padre

hanging the canary-bird
in parlor window
shut-in     he and me

appendo fuori
il canarino in gabbia
reclusi      io e lui
                Luciana Moretto, Italy
 
                                                                                                                                March rain
                                                                                                                                arranging maple twigs
                                                                                                                                in the bud vase
                                                                                                                                                  Laurie D. Morrissey, USA
 
depression lifting . . .
from the top of the pinyon
warbler song
                 Marie Louise Munro, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 sudden downpour
                                                                                                                                 the caged parakeets sing
                                                                                                                                 louder

                                                                                                                                 call to prayer
                                                                                                                                 night cicadas
                                                                                                                                 in the garden
                                                                                                                                             Tim Murphy (Spain/Ireland)
 
venus
in the west
tea picker

batıda
tan yildizi
cayci kiz
 
leap year
some children
born old
 
artik yil
bazi çocuklar
yasli dogar
 
sunflower
says the child
picking it
 
bir cocuk
aycicegi der
koparirlar
             Guliz Mutlu, Turkey
 
                                                                                                                                  nearly spring
                                                                                                                                  hobo and moon
                                                                                                                                  travel ‘til dawn
 
                                                                                                                                  soft rain
                                                                                                                                  one by one
                                                                                                                                  petals fall
                                                                                                                                                Nika, Canada
 
 
gathering seashells -
her tiny footprints
in mine
              Wendy Notarnicola, USA
 
                                                                                                                               Easter Sunday
                                                                                                                               a remote spring
                                                                                                                               in the forest
 
                                                                                                                               putting
                                                                                                                               down my earbuds
                                                                                                                               . . . a blackbird singing
                                                                                                                                                         Victor Ortiz, USA
 
cloudy Friday -
the magpie carefully places
a twig in its nest
              Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland
 
                                                                                         chalk figures
                                                                                         six feet apart
                                                                                         spring
 
                                                      water lilies closing in the clouds
                                                                                                    Roland Packer, Canada
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                cloud gazing
                                                                                                                                dancing bumblebees
                                                                                                                                lull me to sleep
                                                                                                                                                Scott Packer, Canada
 
a clear morning
from a night of mist
hedgerow’s wildflowers
 
bore clir
o niwl y nos
blodau gwyllt y clawdd
 
dandelions
opening to the day
a night’s hidden path
 
dant y llew
yn agor gyda’r dydd
llwybr cudd y nos
                Thomas Powell, Wales
 
                                                                                                                                 after a hot day
                                                                                                                                 the summer moon
                                                                                                                                 cools the air
 
                                                                                                                                 summer moon
                                                                                                                                 the new neighbours
                                                                                                                                 raise their voices
                                                                                                                                             Patricia Prime, New Zealand
 
summer’s end
leaving sandcastles
for the moon
               Carol Raisfeld, USA
 
                                                                                                                              Rajasthani dancer
                                                                                                                              the silver sound
                                                                                                                              of her jangling anklets
                                                                                                                                                Ivan Randall, Australia
 
spring
bursts of Hardenbergia
along the roadside
               Carol Reynolds, Australia

                                                                                                                                summer concert
                                                                                                                                the silence after
                                                                                                                                the last note
                                                                                                                                                 Edward J. Rielly, USA
 
Easter celebration
together
from a distance
              Bona M. Santos, USA
 
                                                                                                                                eucalyptus forests
                                                                                                                                 the hushed whispers
                                                                                                                                 of the children
                                                                                                                                                  Minal Sarosh, India
 
campsite
whispering between
fire and river
                  Agnes Eva Savich, USA
 
                                                                                                                                shutdown
                                                                                                                                the sunny side of the street
                                                                                                                                deserted
 
                                                                                                                                tout est fermé
                                                                                                                                le côté ensoleillé de la rue
                                                                                                                               désert
                                                                                                                                             Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland
 
                                                                             Bending deep
                                                                             the Pope praying alone
                                                                             at Piazza San Pietro
 
                                                深々と祈る法王サンピエトロ広場
                                            Fukabuka to inoru hōou sanpietoro hiroba
 
                                                                           Self-restraint of going out
                                                                           a first butterfly came
                                                                           to the doorway
 
                                                              外出の自粛の戸口初蝶来
                                         Gaishutu no jishuku no toguchi hatsuchō ku
                                                                                                                Kyoko Shimizu, Japan
 
                                                                                                                                  dawn meditation
                                                                                                                                  the valley surrenders
                                                                                                                                  its mist
                                                                                                                                                       Debbie Strange, Canada
 
Canicular summer -
a hoarse skylark
searches for water
 
Vară toridă -
ciocârlia răguşită
caută apă
                 Constantin Stroe, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                   wind chimes . . .
                                                                                                                                   one sparrow after another
                                                                                                                                    in the bird bath
                                                                                                                                                       Angela Terry, USA
 
Breeze at dawn -
a flowering branch
hides the nest
 
Adiere-n zori
o creangă înflorită
ascunde cuibul
 
closing the book -
my mother is watching
the rainbow
 
închizând cartea -
mama priveşte
curcubeul
                  Maria Tirenescu, Romania
 
                                                                              bamboo grove
                                                                              the dance between light
                                                                              and shadow
 
                                                                       magnolia blossom
                                                   a mockingbird weaves moonlight
                                                                                into song
 
                                                                             the flicker
                                                                             of fireflies
                                                                             falling star
                                                                                             Kevin Valentine, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 morning prayer
                                                                                                                                 a slow breeze brings in the scent
                                                                                                                                of distant rain
                                                                                                                                                  Rashmi VeSa, India
 
vernal equinox -
buying from the market
a green scarf
 
echinocţiu vernal -
îmi cumpăr de la târg
o eşarfă verde
              Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                              lockdown
                                                                                                                              families pond fishing
                                                                                                                              six feet apart
 
                                                                                                                             in lockdown
                                                                                                                             layers of pine pollen
                                                                                                                             yellow the porch
                                                                                                                                           Marilyn Appl Walker, USA
 
social distancing
what a moon
has always meant
 
the squirrel’s leap
                   to a tender branch
first day of spring
                   Julie Warther, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  a blind kitten
                                                                                                                                  in the baker’s hand -
                                                                                                                                  first spring morning
                                                                                                                                              Michael Dylan Welch, USA
 
April sunshine
mother buried underground
liked sunbathing
 
kwietniowe słońce
mama pogrzebana w ziemi
lubiła się opalać
 
this is where
I come to be
rye fields in June
 
oto miejsce
gdzie się staję
żytnie pola w czerwcu
                  Ernest Wit, Poland
 
                                                                                                                            spring sunshine
                                                                                                                            a girl with green eyes
                                                                                                                            smiles back
 
                                                                                                                           a ripe plum
                                                                                                                           in a child’s fingers
                                                                                                                           sunset

                                                                                                                           lockdown
                                                                                                                           the honeysuckle climbs
                                                                                                                           the garden wall
                                                                                                                                             Robert Witmer, Japan
 
your fingers find mine
rising blush
of sunset
             Valorie Woerdehoff, USA

Autumn Moon Haiku Journal 3:1, Autumn/Winter 2019-2020

12/9/2019

 
Welcome to the third Autumn/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. Haiku has for the most part been a poetic form that reflects the sensibility of a poet and his or her relation to the world they live in, particularly in relation to the natural world and its seasons, with very old guidebooks (saijiki) to those seasons, including seasonal holidays, in Japan. A good source for the saijiki is William J. Higginson’s HAIKU WORLD, AN INTERNATIONAL POETRY ALMANAC, with over 600 poets from fifty countries and presented in English and the poet’s original language.  The haiku poet’s sensibility should permeate their haiku in a poetic way and should therefore express originality. Thus the phrasing in this short haiku form should present the emotional underpinning of the author’s moment of insight where sensibility comes to reflect their haiku moment, such as the experience of beauty. Poetically this moment of insight is structured in the usually natural focus of the insight’s basis in a condition of seasonal changes however small, like a solitary flower or butterfly, or extensive, like falling autumn leaves or a snowstorm. The haiku’s expression and the haiku’s insight are presented as a separation in the haiku, whether formal with punctuation or a distinct shift in expression, or informal, in the poetic flow of the haiku’s phrasing. Unfortunately, as pointed out by the young climate activist Greta Thunberg, major natural catastrophes have been happening around the world, perhaps due to the effects of overpopulation and the side effects of extensive technology, leading to what has been called the “postmodern condition.” Yet, as some haiku in this journal’s current issue, while pointing to this condition, also celebrate the ongoing presence of seasons and seasonal activities relating to those seasons, expressing the effect of seasonal realities on the poets’ sensibility. So decidedly haiku poets should develop his or her sensibility by experiencing and expressing the affect of seasonal nature as it is encountered in the tangible here and now. I invite you to look up my essay “The Essence of Haiku” which examines in greater depth some of the issues brought up here:
http://www.modernhaiku.org/essays/RossEssenceHaiku.html       
 
Bruce Ross, December 2019
 
 
winter silence
everything that surrounds me
is unknown

silenzio invernale -
tutto ciò che me circonda
è sconosciuto
          Vincenzo Adamo, Italy
 
                                                                                                                               forgetting
                                                                                                                               this isn’t home
                                                                                                                               maple leaves
                                                                                                                                                 Kate Alsbury, USA
 
                                            eating the pomegranate seeds another autumn
                                                                                                          Jenny Ward Angyal, USA
 
                                                                                                                               cows settle
                                                                                                                               deeper in their shadows
                                                                                                                               autumn moon
                                                                                                                                                 Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA
 
 beaver moon -
 what is left behind
 in this windswept field

سنگ آبی مہتاب
اس باد زدہ میدان میں
کیا باقی بچا ہے
            Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
 
                                                                                                                                              the skitter
                                                                                                                                              of an unseen bird
                                                                                                                                              cracks the ice
                                                                                                                                      Joanna Ashwell, UK
 
autumn deepens . . .
meerkats in the pile
of yellowed leaves

ẹ̀rún múlẹ̀ . . .
àwọn ẹmọ́ àfè nínu
ẹ̀rẹ́ẹ́lẹ̀ ewé
          Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy), Nigeria
 
                                                                                                                                               september fog
                                                                                                                                               the cat’s fur
                                                                                                                                               carries wood smoke

                                                                                                                                               septembernevel
                                                                                                                                               de vacht van de kat
                                                                                                                                               ademt houtrook
                                                                                                                                                                   Michael Baeyens, Belgium
 
flickers
of an old warmth . . .
autumn moon
          Aaron Barry, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                 the amber glow
                                                                                                                                                 of eucalyptus trunks
                                                                                                                                                 autumn deepens
                                                                                                                                                                  Dyana Basist, USA
 
fallow garden
she hums the same
lullaby
          Maxianne Berger, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                 all we’ve forgotten . . .
                                                                                                                                                 the honeysuckle
                                                                                                                                                 in winter
                                                                                                                                                              Mark E. Brager, USA
 
laundry day . . .
the old clothesline
fallen
          Ed Bremson, USA
 
                                                               sunday mushrooming bells ring out
                                                                                                            Helen Buckingham, UK
 
                                                                                                                                                 moss etched
                                                                                                                                                 her tombstone
                                                                                                                                                 also decaying
 
                                                                                                                                                swirling leaves
                                                                                                                                                hugging a maple
                                                                                                                                                feeling one
                                                                                                                                                                  John Budan, USA
 
a crescent moon
dangles from the bare branch
twelfth night
          Alanna C. Burke, USA
 
                                                                                                                                              Autumn night -
                                                                                                                                              the leafless limbs of trees
                                                                                                                                              carry the moon
 
                                                                                                                                              Bugnaw'ng kagabhion -
                                                                                                                                              naupaw'ng kulamoy sa kahoy
                                                                                                                                              nagsapnay sa bulan
                                                                                                                                                                     China Cancio, Philippines
 
mountain station -
the freight train
carries only fog
 
gară de munte -
trenul de marfă
transportă doar ceaţă
          Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                               leaves fall . . .
                                                                                                                                               every breath is already
                                                                                                                                               the past
 
                                                                                                                                              cadono foglie . . .
                                                                                                                                              ogni respiro è già
                                                                                                                                              il passato
 
                                                                                                                                               white chrysanthemums . . .
                                                                                                                                               the silent essence
                                                                                                                                               of the morning
 
                                                                                                                                              crisantemi bianchi . . .
                                                                                                                                              l’essenza silenziosa
                                                                                                                                              del mattino
                                                                                                                                                                Lucia Cardillo, Italy
 
                                           saturniid moth clinging to September sun
                                                                                                    Matthew Caretti, USA
 
autumn wind -
i let go
of myself
          Jennifer Carr, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                  moonlight
                                                                                                                                                  loading a port tank with
                                                                                                                                                  the shine of harvest

                                                                                                                                                  mjesečina
                                                                                                                                                  puni silos u luci
                                                                                                                                                  žetvenim sjajem
                                                                                                                                                           Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia
 
winter’s dusk -
i travel this last road
alone
          Vernon Chain, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                rustle of leaves -
                                                                                                                                                I open my soul to let
                                                                                                                                                the autumn enter

                                                                                                                                                foşnet de frunze -
                                                                                                                                                îmi deschid sufletul
                                                                                                                                                să intre toamna
                                                                                                                                                                  Vasile Cojocaru, Romania
 
last harvest
just enough to feed
the birds
          Sue Colpitts, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                 frozen waterfalls
                                                                                                                                                 on a roadside cliff -
                                                                                                                                                 the silence between us
                                                                                                                                          Susan Constable, Canada
 
moonlight
the smell of leaves
upon leaves
          Vera Constantineau, Canada
 
                                                       hunter’s moon releasing a striper
                                                                                                Bill Cooper, USA
 
                                                                                                                                               deep winter
                                                                                                                                                the snow has erased
                                                                                                                                                his footprints
                                                                                                                                                                    Tina Crenshaw, USA
 
At Thanksgiving
all the garden laid out
on the table

A l’Action de Grâce
tout le jardin étalé
sur la table
          Liette Croteau, Canada
 
                                                                                        heavy heart
                                                                                        my notebook full of
                                                                                        dead leaves

                                                                                        le cœur gros
                                                                                       mon calepin boursouflé
                                                                                       de feuilles mortes
                                                                                                             Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium                                                                                                                                                       
climate change
on the merchant’s stall
no pumpkin smiles

accords sur le climat
sur l’étal les potirons
n’ont pas le sourire
          Marie Derley, Belgium
 
                                                                                          golden tamaracks
                                                                                                  snowbirds
                                                                                                  take flight
                                                                                                                 Karen Dick, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                               autumn wind
                                                                                                                                               bristled the spines
                                                                                                                                               of a hedgehog

                                                                                                                                                Jesenji vetar
                                                                                                                                                nakostrešio
                                                                                                                                                bodlje ježa
                                                                                                                                                             Zoran Doderović, Croatia
 
autumn’s chill
at the grave
an eddy of leaves
          Carmela Dolce, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                harvest moon -
                                                                                                                                                the fragrance of a fresh
                                                                                                                                                haiku book

                                                                                                                                                luna plină -
                                                                                                                                                parfumul prospeţimii
                                                                                                                                                unei cărţi de haiku
                                                                                                                                                                  Ana Drobot, Romania
 
                                                                                              dark field
                                                                        pumpkins glow upon    
                                                                                                    harvest moons of ice
                                                                                                                                 Michael Dudley, Canada
 

                                                                                                                                                  his first Yuletide
                                                                                                                                                  our dog marks
                                                                                                                                                  the Christmas tree
                                                                                                                                                                    John J. Dunphy, USA
 
the storks are leaving -
will I live until next year
to see them again?

pleacă berzele -
trăi-voi pân’ la anul
să le revăd?

starless sky -
the field full of thistles
empty autumn

cer fără stele -
câmpu-i plin de ciulini
toamnă săracă
          Adina Enăchescu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                                 falling shadows
                                                                                                                                                 of falling leaves
                                                                                                                                                 missing my dad
                                                                                                                                                                   David Käwika Eyre, USA
 
Kurds flee
same full moon
here and there
          Susan Farmer, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                a gentle broom
                                                                                                                                                for the woolly bear
                                                                                                                                                on the threshold
                                                                                                                                                                 Jeff Ferrara, USA
 
wind storm -
Norfolk pines hold up
the Milky Way

four am milking -
out of the valley fog
the dairy herd
          Lorin Ford, Australia
 
                                                                                                                                                  maple wind shadows
                                                                                                                                                  the way
                                                                                                                                                  I used to dance
                                                                                                                                                                   Jenny Fraser, New Zealand
 
                                                                                       test results
                                                                                       come back negative
                                                                                       . . . Thanksgiving
                                                                                                            William Scott Galasso, USA
 
autumn arrives -
the ciguas* of my house
where have they gone?

llega el otoño -
las ciguas de mi casa
dònde se han ido?
*grey and white national bird of the Dominican Republic
              Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic
 
                                                                                                                                              shifting mountains
                                                                                                                                              autumn’s reflection
                                                                                                                                              in the river

                                                                                                                                              les montagnes dansent
                                                                                                                                              leur reflet d’automne
                                                                                                                                              à flots
                                                                                                                                                               Line Gauthier, Canada
 
                                                                                        autumn woods
                                                                                        stillness
                                                                                        in the stillness
                                                                                         joan iversen goswell, USA
 
even to the moon
the red leaves rustle
in this breeze

甚至对明月
红叶沙沙微风中

crabapples
in moonlight . . .
first frost

海棠月色映初霜
          David He, People’s Republic of China
 
                                                                                                                                                fall planting
                                                                                                                                                grave promises
                                                                                                                                                of spring
                                                                                                                                                                  Marilyn Henighan, Canada
 
a blue jay
drops the smallest peanut
autumn morning
          Gary Hittmeyer, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                bend in the road
                                                                                                                                                winter light through
                                                                                                                                                a deer’s rib cage
                                                                                                                                                                Frank Hooven, USA
 
after chemo
snatches of sky
in every puddle
          Louise Hopewell, Australia

                                                                            larger in my window
                                                                       than the sky
                                                                                       full moon
                                                                                                        Gary Hotham, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                  empty sky
                                                                                                                                                  after the storm
                                                                                                                                                  silence
                                                                                                                                                           Marilyn Humbert, Australia
 
end of season -
my sand castle taken
by the waves

sfârşit de sezon -
castelul meu de nisip
luat de valuri
          Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                                waiting for
                                                                                                                                                the fall of another leaf -
                                                                                                                                                the rest is silence

                                                                                                                                                aşteptând
                                                                                                                                                căderea altei frunze -
                                                                                                                                                restul e tăcere
                                                                                                                                                                Dan Iulian, Romania
 
Kongming lanterns -
wondering which is
my autumn moon
          Lakshmi Iyer, India
 
                                          a thousand raindrops in a footprint left behind
                                                                                                        Rick Jackofsky, USA
 
                                                                                 for my coins
                                                                                 he offers
                                                                                 a winter smile

                                                                   the squall of wild geese
                                                                                at nightfall -
                                                                             waning moon
                                                                                                  Shirley Johnson, Canada
 
summer into fall
on a shelf with Santa
two garden gnomes
          Jeanne Jorgensen, Canada
 
                                                                      old tin roof
                                                                      a full moon in the sound
                                                                      of autumn rain

                                                             no mind still migrating geese
                                                                                                        Elmedin Kadric, Sweden
 
Another wrinkle
Found in the mirror -
Bare branches
          Skylar Kay, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                the boy’s hands
                                                                                                                                                do not stretch far enough
                                                                                                                                                starry lake
                                                                                                                                  Jeff Kressmann, USA

autumn breeze
I open the door
to fireweed fluff
          kjmunro, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                  all saint’s day
                                                                                                                                                  gathering pumpkins
                                                                                                                                                  for squirrels
                                                                                                                                                                  Jill Lange, USA
 
                                                                                        Valentine’s Day
                                                                                         stomping out hearts
                                                                                         in the snow
                                                                                                         Kristen Lindquist, USA
 
harvest moon
holding my thoughts of home
close . . . and closer
(for Li Po)

豐收月
貼近 ...再貼近
我對家的思念

the weight
of winter twilight
river’s edge

冬天暮色
的沉重之感
河流的邊緣
          Chen-ou Liu, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                                steam rises
                                                                                                                                                from the newborn foal -
                                                                                                                                                winter dawn
                                                                                                                                                              John McManus, UK
 
                                                                        departing autumn
                                                                        the kettle’s whistle brings me
                                                                        back to the present
                                                                                          Indra Neil Mekala, India
 
Late at night
Still the sound of neighbors
chopping wood

Tarde en la noche
Aùn se oyen los vecinos
cortando leña
          Lía Miersch, Argentina
 
                                                                                                                                                the spider
                                                                                                                                                dead in its own web
                                                                                                                                                autumn breeze
                                                                                                                                                              Ben Moeller-Gaa, USA
 
water dried -
on the bottom of the riverbed
stream of leaves

apa a secat -
pe fundul albiei
şuvoi de frunze
          Vasile Moldovan, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                                Thanksgiving
                                                                                                                                                 one year ago
                                                                                                                                                 widowed

                                                                                                                                                autumn leaves . . .
                                                                                                                                                catching in my throat
                                                                                                                                                the word good-bye
                                                                                                                                                                Joanne Morcom, Canada
 
‘autumn leaves’
from afar a piano plays
afterglow

‘le foglie morte’
nelle note di un piano . . .
luce al tramonto
          Luciana Moretto, Italy
 
                                                                                                                                                clear ice -
                                                                                                                                                skating into dad’s
                                                                                                                                                perfect circle

                                                                                                                                                open door
                                                                                                                                                a spider swings in
                                                                                                                                                with the stars
                                                                                                                                                                   Laurie D. Morrissey, USA
 
                                                                                    river of stars . . .
                                                                                    a little boy wiggles
                                                                                    his milk tooth
                                                                                                        Ron C. Moss, Australia
 
autumn leaves
the refugee’s hands
red with henna

hazan yaprakları
mültecinin elleri
kına kızılı

where do you go
before the rain
and the swallows
 
nereye gidiyorsun
yağmurdan evvel
ve kırlangıçlardan
 
adónde te vas
antes de la lluvia
y las golondrinas
          Guliz Mutlu, Turkey/Spain
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                 clinging to life
                                                                                                                                                 a yellowed leaf on a branch
                                                                                                                                                 against the wind
 
                                                                                                                                                bám níu sự sống
                                                                                                                                                chiếc lá đã ngả vàng trên cành
                                                                                                                                               đối chọi cơn gió
                                                                                                                                                              Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Vietnam
 
 
The autumn moon -
in the garden still chirping
a lonely cricket
 
Luna de toamnă -
în grădină mai cântă
stingher un greier
          Valentin Nicoliţov, Romania
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                 a pawn
                                                                                                                                                 alone on the chessboard
                                                                                                                                                 harbourfront rain
                                                                                                                                        Roland Packer, Canada
 
 
winter sunshine
a white-brown scrubwren
shows the way
          Greg Piko, Australia
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                  autumn fair
                                                                                                                                                  maples drop leaves
                                                                                                                                                  all shades of red
 
                                                                                                                                                  осенняя ярмарка
                                                                                                                                                  клены роняют листья
                                                                                                                                                  всех цветов рыжего
                                                                                                                                                                 Philmore Place, Belarus
 
crescent moon
bending wood to make
a wheel
          Keith Polette, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                paw print
                                                                                                                                                on the ice
                                                                                                                                                just one
                                                                                                                                                           John Potts, UK
 
nearly ninety
so many autumn moons
in grandma’s life
          Patricia Prime, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                                                autumn chill
                                                                                                                                                remnants of a web
                                                                                                                                                tinged with frost
                                                                                                                                         Carol Raisfeld, USA
 
autumn equinox
the wave before
it crashes
          Dian Duchin Reed, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                winter rain
                                                                                                                                                nothing seems quite
                                                                                                                                                to be itself
                                                                                                                                                             Edward J. Rielly, USA
 
evergreens hold
the old snow’s weight
New Year’s Day
          Barbara Sabol, USA
 
                                                                                                                                                 center of the lake
                                                                                                                                                 trudging in and out in
                                                                                                                                                 snowmobile tracks
                                                                                                                                                                 Tom Sacramona, USA
 
                                                                      winter morning
                                                                      the shape of words
                                                                      I speak to her
                                                                                   Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India
 
wayang* all night
the pale moon awaits
outside the screen
 
wayang semalam suntuk
bulan pucat menanti
di luar layar
      *Indonesian shadow puppet show
                 Ken Sawitri, Indonesia
 
                                                                                                                                                baby due tomorrow
                                                                                                                                                she rakes fallen leaves
                                                                                                                                                into neat piles
                                                                                                                                                               Debbie Scheving, USA
 
winter rain
i go back inside
my thoughts
          Rich Schilling, USA
 
                                                                                                                                              pouring rain
                                                                                                                                              the buttery texture
                                                                                                                                              of red kuri squash
 
                                                                                                                                             trombe d’eau
                                                                                                                                             la chair fondante
                                                                                                                                             du potimarron
                                                                                                                                                         Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland
 
unpaved backroad
14 point shadow
out of season
          Ron Scully, USA
 
                                                                          Lots of persimmons
                                                                          weigh on the branches
                                                                          crows cawing louder
 
                                                           柿たわわ烏の声の高まれり  
                                                kaki tawawa karasu no koe no takamareri
                                                                                                 Kyoko Shimizu, Japan
 
 
                                                                                       dawn . . .
                                                                           the sound of rain
                                                                                on dry leaves
 
                                                                                 amanecer . . .
                                                                    el sonido de la lluvia
                                                                          sobre hojas secas
                                                                                                  Leticia Sicilia, Spain
 
childhood recalled
the smoothness of a chestnut
this fall
 
autumn leaves
twenty-four new colours
in the grade one class

windfall
the stag in the road
stays put
          Susan Spooner, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                               missing my friend . . .
                                                                                                                                               the grey heron
                                                                                                                                               at the creek
 
                                                                                                                                               drowned suburb
                                                                                                                                               Canada geese float
                                                                                                                                               on their reflections
                                                                                                                                                             Barbara Strang, New Zealand
 
autumn leaves
the missing colours
of my life
          Debbie Strange, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                               Unread letters -
                                                                                                                                                in the mail box
                                                                                                                                                only leaves
 
                                                                                                                                                Scrisori necitite -
                                                                                                                                                în cutia poştală
                                                                                                                                                numai frunze
                                                                                                                                                                 Constantin Stroe, Romania
 
autumn moon
the rising aroma
of roast chestnuts
          Andre Surridge, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                                                 everywhere
                                                                                                                                                 a bird might sing
                                                                                                                                                 winter sun
                                                                                                                                                             Rick Tarquinio, USA
 
harvest moon
four spirits wander
the corn maze
          Barbara Tate, USA
 
                                                                                                                                               deep winter . . .
                                                                                                                                                the silence of
                                                                                                                                                trackless snow
                                                                                                                                                              Angela Terry, USA
 
                                          one apple in his hand in mine—harvest moon

                                      één appel in zijn hand in mijn hand—oogstmaan
                                                                     Corine Timmer, The Netherlands/Portugal
 
wet night -
the cat is hiding
in the old waistcoat
 
noapte umedă -
pisica se ascunde
în vechiul cojoc
          Maria Tirenescu, Romania
 
                                                              &nb