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Autumn Moon Haiku Journal 4:2, Spring/Summer 2021

6/13/2021

 
Welcome to this Spring/Summer issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. As I noted previously, climate change has caused natural disasters, food shortages, diminishing wild natural spaces, while 2020 also brought the COVID pandemic which has continued to affect our lives for the past year. There may be hope with the vaccinations and reopening of businesses worldwide, although we still see devastation in some areas especially in India. Haiku poets in this issue are both addressing the ongoing pandemic and human adaptation to the restrictions, but also a hopeful tone is emerging, perhaps with the advent of spring blossoms. Haiku remains most important in its connection to nature and the capture of a moment of insight. Hopefully more and more we will see joy replacing sorrow this year.
Bruce Ross, June 2021


a child in the park
the anxiety of the mother
on the swing

un bimbo al parco –
l’ansia della madre
sull’altalena

spring sun
migrants dry their clothes
on the barbed wire

sole primaverile –
i migrant ascugano i vestiti
sul filo spinato
         Vincenzo Adamo, Italy
 
                                                                                                                                  happy birthday
                                                                                                                                  on the plant he gave me
                                                                                                                                  a swallowtail
                                                                                                                                               Dennise Aiello, USA
 
                                                                               birches budding
                                                                               sneezing together
                                                                               the cat and I
                                                                                             Meg Arnot, UK
 
Milwaukee summer
across the dry cement
duck prints

 صيفُ ملواكي
على الاسمنت الجاف 
أقدامُ البط الذي عبَر
            Inas Asfari, USA/Syria
 
                                                                                                                                  singing bowl
                                                                                                                                  a bluebird learns
                                                                                                                                  her grandma’s song

                                                                                                                                  hopscotch
                                                                                                                                  skipping home
                                                                                                                                  through a spring shower
                                                                                                                                               Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA
 
summer stars
folding a promise
into the light
              Joanna Ashwell, UK
 
                                                                                                                                 august light
                                                                                                                                 in the field your pale hand
                                                                                                                                 showing me feverfew
                                                                                                                                             Michael Battisto, USA
 
lone ridge
a crow and i
share a dawn

hilltop road
a view, far enough
from demands
            Michael Baeyens, Belgium
 
                                                                                                                                  low tide
                                                                                                                                  a hatchling turtle
                                                                                                                                  stretches its neck
                                                                                                                                               Tom Bierovic, USA
 
spoonbill in flight
this longing to
get away
          Meik Blöttenberger, USA
 
                                                                           wildflower garden
                                                                           one long shadow
                                                                          across the sundial

                                             curled ferns ready to open the hymnal
                                                                                        Maxianne Berger, Canada
 
a robin cocks
his head to listen
worm moon

canna lily blossoms
open to hummingbird beaks
late summer
           Nancy Brady, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  icicles melting
                                                                                                                                  onto a tin roof
                                                                                                                                  a robin’s return
                                                                                                                                             John Budan, USA
 
a crow lands
in my perfect composition
painting en plein air

listening for what’s true
bee chorus
in the chocolate flowers
           Alanna C. Burke, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  bee on tulip
                                                                                                                                  in the rising sun . . .
                                                                                                                                  first love

                                                                                                                                  un’ ape sul tulipano
                                                                                                                                  al sorgere del sole . . .
                                                                                                                                  primo amore

                                                                                                                                  daffodils in bloom
                                                                                                                                  a girl in the sun
                                                                                                                                  reading his email

                                                                                                                                  giunchiglie in fiore
                                                                                                                                  una ragazza al sole
                                                                                                                                  legge la sua mail
                                                                                                                                             Mariangela Canzi, Italy
 
leaving the road
for a new path . . .
wild irises

lasciare la strada
per un nuovo sentiero . . .
iris selvatici
        Lucia Cardillo, Italy
 
                                                                                                                                  spring birdsong
                                                                                                                                  the shut-in finds a clip
                                                                                                                                  on her iPhone

                                                                                                                                  rivulet
                                                                                                                                  of blossoms
                                                                                                                                  the journey home
                                                                                                                                                 Matthew Caretti, USA
 
a robin hops
I am three
holding Mother’s hand

slowing –
toward that day
the rose blooms
            Louise Carson, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                  backyard garden
                                                                                                                                  beyond the celery
                                                                                                                                  cats mating

                                                                                                                                  basmati rice
                                                                                                                                  soaking in an antique bowl . . .
                                                                                                                                  tranquility
                                                                                                                                                 Anna Cates, USA
 
                                                                                   warm spring day –
                                                                                   watched clouds pass by instead
                                                                                   of my life
                                                                                                   Vernon Chain, USA
 
lilac blush
under the window sill
graduation day

pemerah pipi
bawah ambang tingkap
pengijazahan
 
卒業日窓の外にはライラック
               Christina Chin, Malaysia
 
                                                                                                                                  bent daffodils
                                                                                                                                  an old man leans
                                                                                                                                  on his cane

                                                                                                                                  forgive
                                                                                                                                  my hurried steps
                                                                                                                                  lady slipper
                                                                                                                                              Sue Colpitts, Canada
 
yard sale goods
laid out to view
a life lived

on the patio
coffee with birdsong
and raccoon
             Vera Constantineau, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                 alone with gulls
                                                                                                                                 and the call of the wind
                                                                                                                                 summer drifter
                         
                                                                                                                                 an eaglet
                                                                                                                                 on the edge
                                                                                                                                 first flight
                                                                                                                                            Susan Constable, Canada
 
her death
the contour lines
of a calla lily

la sua morte
le linee di contorno
di una calla

letting go
of everything
spring wind

lasciando andare
ciò che vuole andare
vento di primavera
            Maria Concetta Conti, Italy
 
                                                                                                                                   spring showers
                                                                                                                                   a Buddhist monk
                                                                                                                                   rescues worms

                                                                                                                                   springtime
                                                                                                                                   snow
                                                                                                                                   on daffodils
                                                                                                                                               Bryan Cook, Canada
 
setting aside
the rose-colored plates
farm auction
           Bill Cooper, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 sailing
                                                                                                                                 through a field of stars
                                                                                                                                 fireflies in June
                                                                                                                                            Ronald K. Craig, USA
 
new rattle
the baby moves . . . his feet
ah, those first times

nouveau hochet
le bébé bouge . . . les pieds
ah, ces premières fois

her soap bubbles
travel up into the sky
her coat soon too tight

ses bulles de savon
montent jusqu’au ciel
son manteau bientôt trop étroit
               Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium
 
                                                                                                                                 sultry day . . .
                                                                                                                                 a catbird carries
                                                                                                                                 the conversation
                                                                                                                                            Risë E. Daniels, USA
wind of May Day
the lily of the valley
does as it pleases

premier mai
dans le vent le muguet
fait ce qu’il lui plait
            Marie Derley, Belgium
 
                                                                                                                                   summer harvest
                                                                                                                                   birds devour the figs
                                                                                                                                   without warning
                                                                                                                                                Carmela Dolce, USA
 
                                                                              on the armchair
                                                                              the shadows of clouds
                                                                              back and forth

                                                                              sulla poltrona
                                                                              le ombre delle nuvole
                                                                              vanno e vengano
                                                                                        Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo,
                                                                                        The Netherlands/Italy
 
another encore
on the way to the cemetery
plum petals rain

още един бис
по пътя за гробището
дъжд от цветовете на сливата

empty pipe
in the old fisherman’s boat
thunder moon

празна лула
в лодката на стария рибар
пълнолуние
              Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria
 
                                                                                                                                  pink moon –
                                                                                                                                  my childhood drawing
                                                                                                                                  so accurate

                                                                                                                                  luna roz –
                                                                                                                                  desenul din copilărie
                                                                                                                                  chiar realist
                                                                                                                                             Ana Drobot, Romania
 
Mizuki
We eat the rice dumplings
Waiting for night
               Miriam Dunn, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                 winding-down yard sale
                                                                                                                                 the Virgin and Buddha statues
                                                                                                                                 now a package deal
                                                                                                                                                John J. Dunphy, USA
 
after rain –
the last reverence
of the irises

după ploaie –
ultima reverenţă
a stânjeneilor

summer night –
in the lavender field
cricket song

noapte de vară –
în câmpul de lavandă
cântec de greier
              Carmen Duvalma, Romania
 
                                                                                          moonlight
                                                                                            will do…
                                                                                          sunflower
                                                                                                    David Käwika Eyre, USA
 
spring equinox
finding the other half
of the haiku
               Seren Fargo, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  Good Friday
                                                                                                                                  a cardinal calls
                                                                                                                                  from the bare sycamore
                                                                                                                                                Susan Farner, USA
 
honeysuckle breeze . . .
a barn swallow
in mid air

mountain ridge
coywolf’s breath
as it pauses
             Donna Fleischer, USA

                                                                                                                                   long lockdown . . .
                                                                                                                                   magpies in the schoolyard
                                                                                                                                   sing their song of joy

                                                                                                                                   lingering heat –
                                                                                                                                   a greengrocer cicada’s
                                                                                                                                   late serenade
                                                                                                                                               Lorin Ford, Australia
 
a tiny feather
at my feet
i leave it for the wind
             Jenny Fraser, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                                    in the puddle
                                                                                                                                    a tree resounds
                                                                                                                                    with light
                                                                                                                                                 Alex Fyffe, USA
 
oak woods
a woodpecker arranges
the night silence

hrastova šuma...
djetlić raspoređuje
noćnu tišinu

храстова шума...
дјетлић распоређује
ноћну тишину

late spring . . .
a spider weaves silence
in the moonlight

kasno proljeće...
pauk pod mjesečinom
plete tišinu

касно прољеће...
паук под мјесечином
плете тишину
                Ivan Gaćina, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                                another bourbon –
                                                                                                                                awake with me,
                                                                                                                                this moonlit slug
                                                                                                                                           Joshua Gage, USA

                                                                                             early spring –
                                                                                             mockingbird’s song
                                                                                             in the cobwebs

                                                                                             spring breeze –
                                                                                             resonance of bees
                                                                                             in the rosemary
                                                                                                           Jerome Gagnon, USA
 
they make their nest
deep inside the house –
spring.

Hacen su nido
muy dentro de la casa.
La primavera.

quietly
today that glow
of flamboyants.

Calladamente
hoy ese resplandor
de flamboyanes.
              Rafael Garcìa Bidò, Dominican Republic
 
                                                                                What a light
                                                                       In the blossom tree
                                                                                 The moon
                                                                                              Ava Gardiner, New Zealand
 
falling in love . . .
the way the peony
takes a butterfly

zaljubiti se...
način na koji božur
prima leptira
            Goran Gatalica, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                                   not a breeze
                                                                                                                                   an owl hoots
                                                                                                                                   at the full moon

                                                                                                                                  brise disparue –
                                                                                                                                  un hibou s’adresse
                                                                                                                                  à la pleine lune
                                                                                                                                                Line Gauthier, Canada
 
Waiting room
I name all the fishes
In the aquarium

Poczekalnia
Nadaję imiona wszystkim rybkom
W akwarium

Lockdown
Freely twinkling
Of stars

Lockdown
Swobodne migotanie
Gwiazd
             Anna Goluba, Poland
 
                                                                                                                                   nothing
                                                                                                                                   then a puffin
                                                                                                                                   to take the breath away
                 
                                                                                                                                  evening blues
                                                                                                                                  blackbirds fall into line
                                                                                                                                  along the corncrib
                                                                                                                                                LeRoy Gorman, Canada
 
new moon
the boys count and recount
lightning bugs

sundown –
this river flows slower
than thirty years ago
              John S Green, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  red and white bobbins
                                                                                                                                  swinging from tree branches –
                                                                                                                                  the old fishing hole
                                                                                                                                              Steven H. Greene, USA
 
for only seconds
feeling eternity
April sunrise

midnight waves
riding a pearl moon
body surfer
            Charles Harmon, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  rising moon
                                                                                                                                  the lake ripples
                                                                                                                                   in and out
                                                                                                                                              David He, China
 
first bouquet
of sweet peas –
her smile at the door

top step
on a shaky ladder –
sun-warmed peaches
              Karin Hedetniemi, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                   early spring
                                                                                                                                   the drift of wood smoke
                                                                                                                                   guiding me home

                                                                                                                                  Good Friday
                                                                                                                                  sprouting in the basement
                                                                                                                                  spring bulbs

                                                                                                                                  spring break . . .
                                                                                                                                  a robin watches her young
                                                                                                                                  fall into flight
                                                                                                                                               Marilyn Henighan, Canada
 
cherry petals
float on the tide
how far will they go?

shio ni ukabu
sakurabana ikada
doko made desho

潮に浮かぶ
桜花筏
何処迄でしょー
 
seagulls
wander the mud flats
low spring tide

umi neko
higata o urutsu
higanshio

海猫
干潟を得るつ
彼岸潮
               Judith Hishikawa, USA
 
                                                             finding the right pitch pine wind
                                                                                             Jeff Hoagland, USA
 
spring equinox –
tilting my head a little
toward the light

no one else
here on this hilltop –
geese flying north
              Ruth Holzer, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 dark faces
                                                                                                                                 of the sheep
                                                                                                                                 spring snow

                                                                                                                                 southbound
                                                                                                                                 along the train tracks
                                                                                                                                 butterflies
                                                                                                                                           Frank Hooven, USA
 
mist
rising from the river
the call of a bull moose

bergs
clogging the shallows
spring breakup

homebound
guided by rooftops
nest after nest
             Louisa Howerow, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                  spring cleaning
                                                                                                                                  the echo of a church bell
                                                                                                                                  comes with the wind

                                                                                                                                  пролетно почистване
                                                                                                                                  ехо от църковна камбана
                                                                                                                                  донесено от вятъра
 
                                                                                                                                  pandemic year
                                                                                                                                  the higabana bloomed
                                                                                                                                  in spring

                                                                                                                                  пандемия
                                                                                                                                  хиганбаната цъфна
                                                                                                                                  през пролетта
                                                                                                                                                   Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria
 
does love thy neighbor
include the wolves, hummingbirds
and eucalypti?
           Pat Hull, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  moon bridge –
                                                                                                                                  the pathway over
                                                                                                                                  rivers of stars

                                                                                                                                  moonlit night
                                                                                                                                  brumbies splashing
                                                                                                                                  through shallows
                                                                                                                                                  Marilyn Humbert, Australia
 
heavy with blossom
the lilac branch
closer to the ground

bătută de flori
creanga liliacului
mai aproape de pământ
                Mona Iordan, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                   crescent moon
                                                                                                                                   dusk yet to sharpen
                                                                                                                                    the stars

                                                                                                                                   skimming
                                                                                                                                   the near-earth air
                                                                                                                                   three swallows

                                                                                                                                   beneath the tree
                                                                                                                                   a deepening of fallen
                                                                                                                                   petals
                                                                                                                                                    Erica Ison, UK
 
half-open eyed
Buddha looks at me
looking at him
               Lakshmi Iyer, India
 
                                                                                      cricket frog –
                                                                                      leaping from a lily pad . . .
                                                                                      to the moon

                                               scattered clouds . . . a cormorant comes up for air

                                                                                     flying fish
                                                                                     in the company of clouds
                                                                                     koinobori*
                                                                                        *carp streamers
                                                                                                        Rick Jackofsky, USA
 
A caterpillar
in front of the mountain –
So far to go

Une chenille
devant la montagne –
Si loin pour s’y rendre
             Liette Janelle, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                  locust buds
                                                                                                                                  do not yet
                                                                                                                                  hide the sparrow
                                                                                                                                                   Julie Allyn Johnson, USA
 
                                                                                        The fountain
                                                                              turns quiet abruptly –
                                                                                     a pigeon’s coo

                                                                 噴水のはたと鎮まり鳩の声
                                                    Funsui no hatato shizumari hato no koe

                                                                                      Repeatedly
                                                                          the fountain touches
                                                                                daytime moon

                                                        噴水のときおり触るる昼の月 
                                                 Funsui no tokiori fururu hiru no tsuki
                                                                                  Satoru Kanematsu, Japan
 
                                                                                                                     haiku in chalk –
                                                                                                                             the typos too
                                                                                                                             will wash away
                                                                                                                                             Skylar Kay, Canada
 
with mask
the journey of a toad
to water

Mit Maske
Die Reise einer Kröte
zum Wasser
              Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany
 
                                                                                                                                  a blustery day
                                                                                                                                  swaying back and forth
                                                                                                                                  the lark’s song
                                                                                                                                                David J Kelly, Ireland
 
a pocket full
of small change . . .
spring rain
             Bill Kenney, USA
 
                                                                                April snow
                                                                                tiny daffodils turn
                                                                                from the window
                                                                                            kjmunro, Canada
 
                                                                                                                              acorn footpath
                                                                                                                             woodpeckers tapping
                                                                                                                             in the oak forest
                                                                                                                                           Deborah P Kolodji, USA
 
sprouted wheatgrass
white heron leaves the ground
against the wind

izniklo žito
diže se bijela čaplja
nasuprot vjetru
            Nina Kovačić, Croatia
 
                                                                                   cathedral bell
                                                                             the pigeons return
                                                                                   after services
                                                                                                    Jeff Kressmann, USA
 
shop window
today’s special offer
a rainbow

sčiščena okna
med ponudbo v izložbi
drobci mavrice
           Samo Kreutz, Slovenia
 
                                                                                                                                  sharing
                                                                                                                                  morning rain
                                                                                                                                  with robins
 
                                                                                                                                   twilight
                                                                                                                                   by the marsh
                                                                                                                                  spring peepers
                                                                                                                                               Jill Lange, USA
 
In the forest
a Huia*
dreams of the moon
                *A Huia is an extinct NZ native bird
                          Alfie Lash, age 7, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                                full moon
                                                                                                                                within the raindrop
                                                                                                                                falling from a leaf
 
                                                                                                                               crickets chirping
                                                                                                                               below the silence
                                                                                                                               of the moon
                                                                                                                                         Luke Levi, USA
 
Clouds, the soft white
of dogwood petals –
a mindful walk
              Rebecca Lilly, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  an oriole
                                                                                                                                  curls around apple buds
                                                                                                                                  high noon
 
                                                                                                                                  April sky . . .
                                                                                                                                  amid last year’s leaves
                                                                                                                                  a jay feather
                                                                                                                                              Kristen Lindquist, USA
 
old age home
once in a while the sound
of footsteps
 
養老院
偶爾聽到
腳步聲
 
spike in cases
the muezzin’s call
more distant
 
更多的新病例
穆斯林宣禮員的召喚聲
更加遙遠
                  Chen-ou Liu, Canada
 
                                                                                                                                  making wishes
                                                                                                                                  on dandelions
                                                                                                                                  potter’s field
                                                                                                                                               Gregory Longenecker, USA
 
 crescent moon . . .
on night sky
I search for Venus
              Margaret Mahony, Australia
 
                                                                                                                                  flower seeds
                                                                                                                                  looking for god
                                                                                                                                  into myself
 
                                                                                                                                  semi di un fiore
                                                                                                                                  cercando un dio
                                                                                                                                  dentro me stessa
                                                                                                                                                 Carmela Marino, Italy
 
old beached hull
still buoying up
this flower moon
          Marietta McGregor, Australia
 
                                                                            End of summer
                                                                                                                       Siesta* with humming cicadas
                                                                            and tereré*
                                                                                  *siesta: early, warmest afternoon hours
                                                                 *Tereré: cool, refreshing drink made of yerba mate (ilex paraguayensis)
 
                                                                          Fin del verano
                                                                          La siesta con cigarras
                                                                          y tereré
                                                                                         Lía Miersch, Argentina
 
over the marsh
the shadow of a white crane
sliding lightly
 
peste mlaştină
umbra unui cocor alb
alunecând uşor
 
flying at night –
a flock of wild geese
above the airport
 
zbor de noapte –
stol de gâşte sălbatice
peste aeroport
              Vasile Moldovan, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                 dry lightning
                                                                                                                                 every summer this game
                                                                                                                                 of chance
                                                                                                                                             Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA
 
 late Spring
seeing through the forest
one last time
 
fin du printemps
un dernier regard
à travers la forêt
              Mike Montreuil, Canada
              (French translation: Maxianne Berger)
 
                                                                                                                                  hospice garden
                                                                                                                                  the forget-me-nots
                                                                                                                                  in full bloom
 
                                                                                                                                 sunning herself
                                                                                                                                 in my fairy garden
                                                                                                                                 neighbor’s cat
 
                                                                                                                                 windy day
                                                                                                                                 the cherry blossoms
                                                                                                                                 fill sidewalk cracks
                                                                                                                                              Joanne Morcom, Canada
 

clumps of clover
the symbolic leaf . . .
end of pandemic
 
ciuffi di trifoglio
la foglia simbolica . . .
fine della pandemia
            Luciana Moretto, Italy
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                  rainbow –
                                                                                                                                  wondering if the robin
                                                                                                                                  sees it
                                                                                                                                                  Wilda Morris, USA
 
spring trail ride
my pony makes some
of the decisions
 
summer blooms –
the lovely Latin
of their names
                Laurie D. Morrissey, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  visiting
                                                                                                                                  civil war trenches
                                                                                                                                  summer grass
                                                                                                                                                Tim Murphy, Spain/Ireland
 
rainbow
I remember
again
 
gökkuşağı
hatırlıyorum
yine
           Guliz Mutlu, Turkey
 
                                                                                                                                  summer garden,
                                                                                                                                  my cat playing
                                                                                                                                  with the moon
                                                                                                                                              Tom Nalder, New Zealand
 
years from the ashram
I pick my way over
the rocky beach
             Peter Newton, USA

                                                                                                                                  spring thaw . . .
                                                                                                                                  sparrows stuff their nest
                                                                                                                                  with sweater yarn
                                                                                                                                                  Nika, Canada
 
spring morning
the gifts of stillness
wrapped in song
 
climate change
against all odds
I plant seedlings
 
morning meadow
yet another layer
of birdsong
                Helen Ogden, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 have you blossomed
                                                                                                                                 since my last time on this path –
                                                                                                                                 star clematis bush?
                                                                                                                                              Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland
 
shining lake –
a distant loon calls
my other name
 
trailer park –
all of the haiku
quiet
            our thomas, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  all our hopes
                                                                                                                                  still within reach –
                                                                                                                                  daytime moon
 
                                                                                                                                  apple blossoms
                                                                                                                                  open one by one
                                                                                                                                  the road unknown
                                                                                                                                                Scott Packer, Canada
 
                                                                             moving clouds
                                                                             even now standing so still
                                                                             that tree afar
 
                                                                            oblaci se kreću
                                                                            i dalje stoji tako mirno
                                                                            ono daleko stablo
                                                                                        Dejan Pavlinović, Croatia
 
light breeze –
the wave of poppies
reddens the sky
 
brezza leggera –
l’onda dei papaveri
arrossa il cielo
 
dew –
the color of dawn
in a rose
 
rugiada –
il colore dell’ alba
in una rosa
           Maria Teresa Piras, Italy
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                  a new dream
                                                                                                                                  the sun among the cherry trees
                                                                                                                                  suddenly
 
                                                                                                                                 un nuovo sogno
                                                                                                                                 il sole tra i ciliegi
                                                                                                                                 all’ improvviso
 
                                                                                                                                 the last words
                                                                                                                                 of our meeting
                                                                                                                                 leaves in the wind
 
                                                                                                                                 le ultime parole
                                                                                                                                 del nostro incontro
                                                                                                                                 foglie al vento
                                                                                                                                                 Cinzia Pitingaro, Italy
 
 
way home –
gently hold the puppy
miner’s hands
 
дорога домой –
бережно держат щенка
руки шахтёра
           Philmore Place, Belarus
 
                                                                                                                                  missing color
                                                                                                                                  on painter’s palette –
                                                                                                                                  spring green
 
                                                                                                                                  couleur manquante
                                                                                                                                  sur la palette du peintre –
                                                                                                                                  vert printemps
                                                                                                                                              Nicole Pottier, France
 

early summer
ducks in pairs, webbed feet
opening and closing
 
soaking up
late summer sunshine
a ceramic frog
             Patricia Prime, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                                  almost summer
                                                                                                                                  through an open door
                                                                                                                                  the scent of earth
 
                                                                                                                                  morning dew
                                                                                                                                  fresh paw prints follow
                                                                                                                                  the sparrow’s song
                                                                                                                                                Carol Raisfeld, USA
 
 
the moment that
indigo turns to black
first star
 
two children
in raincoats and boots
a puddle
 
blowhole
at the edge of the sea
the silence between
              Dian Duchin Reed, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 Koels call
                                                                                                                                 on cue
                                                                                                                                 Spring
 
                                                                                                                                 first night of Summer
                                                                                                                                 the deafening drum
                                                                                                                                 of cicadas
 
                                                                                                                                 golden wattle
                                                                                                                                 in full bloom
                                                                                                                                winter blues end
                                                                                                                                               Carol Reynolds, Australia
 
 
planting flowers . . .
on the kitchen table
my dark mask
 
discussing graffiti
on the sides of train cars
spring sunshine
 
4th of July
the darkening sky
of the pandemic
               Edward J. Rielly, USA
 
                                                                                                                                summer sun
                                                                                                                                        setting
                                                                                                                       in my lap
                                                                                                                                              Joan Marie Roberts, Canada
 

bright lilacs . . .
bird seed on the sill
of an open window
 
home from the meadow
my son draws us
as blue horses
 
wildfire –
the horse given water
from a cowboy hat
              Chad Lee Robinson, USA
 
                                                                                radio says rain –
                                                                                      yet the sun is trailing me
                                                                                           in every room
 
                                                                              before its tracks dry
                                                                       the red salamander slides
                                                                                             into the water
                                                                                                           Sydell Rosenberg, USA
 
 
piercing the fog
black eyes of a barred owl
turn my way
 
no backstory
among the willows
a lone elk cow
              Aron Rothstein, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  backwater twilight
                                                                                                                                  a skipping pebble
                                                                                                                                 ripples the colours
 
                                                                                                                                 too far
                                                                                                                                 for the contagion to catch
                                                                                                                                 haze-masked moon
 
                                                                                                                                summer breeze . . .
                                                                                                                               the fragrant rain
                                                                                                                               of neem flowers
                                                                                                                                           Srinivas S, India
 
 
reading the tao te ching –
a breeze through the window
turns the next page
             Dan Salontai, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  Buddha’s birthday
                                                                                                                                  a cow licks all over
                                                                                                                                  the newborn calf
 
                                                                                                                                  morning tea
                                                                                                                                  a little sparrow drops
                                                                                                                                  into our talk
                                                                                                                                            Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India
 
                                                        a hillside shifts shape spring rain
                                                                                                 Bona M. Santos, USA
 
                                               sometimes a stick is a snake river trail
 
                                                                                     summer clouds
                                                                                     the turtle pond’s surface
                                                                                     full of dreams
                                                                                                     Agnes Eva Savich, USA
 
call for prayer . . .
the dandelion seeds
drifting
 
panggilan azan . . .
biji-biji bunga jombang*
berderai-derai
          *tanaman jombang (Taraxacum officinale)
 
I wash my face
moonlight sinking
between the wet pebbles
 
kubasuh muka
cahaya bulan karam
diantara kerikil basah
 
spring rain . . .
in an umbrella I shelter
from thought shower
 
hujan turun . . .
di bawah payung aku berlindung
dari guyuran pikiran
                Ken Sawitri, Indonesia
 
                                                                                                                                 a flycatcher
                                                                                                                                 chasing moon-bleached wings
                                                                                                                                 summer’s end
                                                                                                                                               Julie Schwerin, USA
 

handmade doily
wily spider
works his way out
           Ron Scully, USA
 
                                                                                                                                  idle summer day
                                                                                                                                  in Buddha’s lap
                                                                                                                                  a cat dreams
                                                                                                                                             Richa Sharma, India
 
places to go
a row of weeping cherries
slows me down
            Adelaide Shaw, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 the crow
                                                                                                                                 stretching out her wings
                                                                                                                                 morning meditation
                                                                                                                                             Ted Sherman, UK
 
                                                                    Under cherry blossoms
                                                                    walking side by side
                                                                    at the same pace
 
                                                   寄り添へば同じ歩幅に花の下
                                         Yorisoe ba onaji hohaba ni hana no shita
 
                                                                  Fallen peony petals
                                                                  still spread the scent
                                                                  over the ground
 
                                        散りてなほ地に香をひろぐ牡丹かな
                                         tirite nao chi ni ka o hirogu botan kana
                                                                                        Kyoko Shimizu, Japan
 
waving grass
of the meadow
kite in my bag
 
разлюляна тревата
на ливадата
хвърчило в чантата ми
 
fragrance
of the white sand lilies
alone by the sea
 
аромат
на бели пясъчни лилии
сама край морето
              Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria
 
                                                                                      Calm sea,
                                                                      the greenery of a rock  
                                                                            among the foam.
 
                                                                                Mar en calma,
                                                                        el verdor de una roca
                                                                 entre la espuma.
 
                                                                                At dawn . . .
                                                                        the first shower
                                                                                of spring.
 
                                                                         Al amanecer . . .
                                                                 el primer chubasco
                                                              de primavera.
                                                                                        Leticia Sicilia, Spain
 
                                                                                                                              prognosis –
                                                                                                                              spring colours
                                                                                                                              in the pillbox
                                                                                                                     Neena Singh, India
 
raindrop –
a glimpse of
what’s to come
 
kap kiše –
nagovještaj onoga
što dolazi
 
moonlight
the hedgehog ignores
no trespassing sign
 
mjesečina
jež ne mari za znak
zabranjen prolaz
            Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro
 
                                                                                                                                  pollen clouds
                                                                                                                                  the meadow threaded
                                                                                                                                  with butterflies
                                                                                                                                               Debbie Strange, Canada
 
The face of spring –
the ruined wall
full of ivy
 
Chipul primăverii –
zidul ruinat
plin de iederă
 
Vigils of Easter . . .
two doves on the spire listen to
the liturgy
 
Deniile . . .
doi porumbei pe turlă
ascultă liturghia
           Constantin Stroe, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                 drifting
                                                                                                                                 on the spring breeze . . .
                                                                                                                                 children’s laughter
 
                                                                                                                                 terbawa bersama
                                                                                                                                semilir angin musim semi . . .
                                                                                                                                tawa anak-anak
 
                                                                                                                               fireflies . . .
                                                                                                                               all the dreams
                                                                                                                               I’ve ever had
 
                                                                                                                               kunang-kunang
                                                                                                                               semua mimpi
                                                                                                                               yang pernah kumiliki
                                                                                                                                            Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia
 
 
 
windowsill . . .
tulips in a pot waiting
for spring
 
перваз на прозорец…
лалета в саксии чакат
пролетта
             Diana Teneva, Bulgaria
 
                                                                                                                                 in fragments
                                                                                                                                 across the melting pond
                                                                                                                                 the spring moon
                                                                                                                                           Angela Terry, USA
 
white clouds in the sky –
ready to bloom
the old cherry

nori albi pe cer –
gata să înflorească
cireşul bătrân

granny on the porch
several cries in the cherry
with ripe fruits

bunica în verandă –
strigăte în cireşul
cu fructe coapte

clear night –
girls making wreaths
of yellow bedstraw

noapte senină –
fete împletind cununi
din sânziene
             Maria Tirenescu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                  grandpa’s lazybed
                                                                                                                                  his potatoes still grow
                                                                                                                                   in the corner

                                                                                                                                  spring snow
                                                                                                                                  lighting a fire to write
                                                                                                                                  about the old days

                                                                                                                                 cherry blossom
                                                                                                                                 an old pen
                                                                                                                                 fills with ink
                                                                                                                                              Xenia Tran, Scotland
 
                                                                              leap of a trout
                                                                    spring rain resurrects
                                                                       the river
      
                                                                            swamp thistle
                                                             rival hummingbirds battle
                                                                                for nectar
       
                                                                             bait bucket
                                                          reaching into the moon
                                                                        for a minnow
                                                                                       Kevin Valentine, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 spring cold snap
                                                                                                                                 even the moon
                                                                                                                                 is snowbound
                                                                                                                                             Mary Vlooswyk, Canada
 
lavender in bloom –
my garden filling
with sky

lavanda în floare –
grădina mea se umple
de cer
              Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania
 
                                                                                                                                  spring rain
                                                                                                                                  the scent of the forest
                                                                                                                                  touching the clouds

                                                                                                                                  icicles on the cross
                                                                                                                                  melting into
                                                                                                                                  my husband’s grave
                                                                                                                                                Althea Rowe Watson, USA
 
love done –
the skipped stone disappears
into fog

the Milky Way above
fails to bring you closer –
my long walk home
             Michael Dylan Welch, USA
 
                                                                                                                                 crabapple branches
                                                                                                                                 blown bare again
                                                                                                                                 in March wind

                                                                                                                                Feral bee hive
                                                                                                                                The whole earth humming
                                                                                                                                beneath our feet
                                                                                                                                           Allyson Whipple, USA
 
                                                                                   spring sunflecks
                                                                                   all those moments
                                                                                   of insight
                                                                               Kath Abela Wilson, USA
 
along a lake
on a long slow day
a lonely swan

wzdłuż jeziora
w długi wolny dzień
samotny łabędź

venturing
into the impossible
oriole’s voice

odważ się
na niemożliwe
głos wilgi

the sun forces
forsythias to bloom
a cold snap

słońce zmusza
forsycje do kwitnienia
ukłucie zimna
               Ernest Wit, Poland
 
                                                                                                                                  spring rain
                                                                                                                                  the capricious pattering
                                                                                                                                  a toddler’s first steps
                                                                                                                                              Robert Witmer, Japan
 
burying mother
in a pandemic
the space between
              Valorie Woerdehoff, USA

    Editor:
    Bruce Ross


    Assistant Editor: Astrid Andreescu

    ​Art: Murray David Ross


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