Autumn Moon Haiku Journal
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Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, Volume 5:1, Autumn/Winter 2021-22

12/11/2021

 
Welcome to this Autumn/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. The philosopher Edmund Husserl, founder of phenomenology, focused on the phrase zu den Sachen selbst (to the things themselves). This is a perfect procedure for haiku. Nowadays, some haiku is trying to follow the trend of modern poetry, which betrays the true essence of haiku. Those who are writing in this style, to my mind, are making a misstep perhaps also based on modern phrasing in current poetry. In this issue, there are many excellent haiku that are focusing on the essence of haiku writing. For further information on this important issue, if you haven’t read my article The Essence of Haiku, it is available on the internet including the Haiku Foundation website. Also, I published in 2002 How to Haiku, A Writer’s Guide to Haiku and Related Forms, now out of print, but which is coming out as a new revised edition in April 2022, with Tuttle Publishing, titled Writing Haiku, A Guide to Composing Japanese Haiku Poetry.
Bruce Ross, December 2021
drought . . .
in the well of my house
there is no moon

siccità. . .
nel pozzo di casa mia
non c'è la luna
 
first snowflakes –
the crying of the newborn
of a premature birth
 
primi fiocchi di neve -
il pianto del neonato
di un parto premature
         Vincenzo Adamo, Italy
 
                                                                                                                 waning starlight
                                                                                                                 great-horned owl
                                                                                                                 calls in the dawn
 
                                                                                                                 daybreak
                                                                                                                 silent coyotes
                                                                                                                 in single file
                                                                                                                           Cynthia Anderson, USA
 
a forest
in the raven’s voice
winter dusk
 
ribbons of mist
between the cornrows
the body of a rabbit
          Jenny Ward Angyal, USA
 
                                                                                                                         the long journey
                                                                                                                         of a lost mitten
                                                                                                                         autumn moon
 
                                                                                                                         runaway . . .
                                                                                                                         a raven’s whisper
                                                                                                                         into the wind
 
                                                                                                                        crisp breeze
                                                                                                                        seagulls circle
                                                                                                                        the waves of grain
 
                                                                                                                        coloring
                                                                                                                        inside the lines
                                                                                                                        first snow
                                                                                                                               Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA
 
fading scent
of the fallen pines . . .
mom’s funeral day
 
ماند پڑتی خوشبو
...گرے ہوئے پائنز کی
ماں کے جنازے کا دن
 
moor heather
in full bloom
autumn twilight
 
خلنج کا پھول
پُورے جوبن پر
خزاں کی شام کا جھٹ پٹا
 
Ode to Autumn
I lend my voice
to hedge-crickets
 
خزاں کی غزل
میں اپنی آواز ادھار دیتی ہوں
باڑ کے جھینگروں کو
         Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan
 
                                                                                                                         the last leaf
                                                                                                                         a touch away
                                                                                                                         in failing light
 
                                                                                                                         the owl’s gaze
                                                                                                                         deepening
                                                                                                                         in barn light
 
                                                                                                                         evening chills
                                                                                                                         the wind chimes
                                                                                                                         constant ripple
                                                                                                                                  Joanna Ashwell, UK
 
                                                                                  winter stone
                                                                                  the creek slows
                                                                                  to a whisper
                                                                                          Susan B. Auld, USA
 
wavering skies
a distant hill
comes and goes
 
weifelende luchten
een verre heuvel
komt en gaat
        Michael Baeyens, Belgium

                                                                                                                         autumn rain
                                                                                                                         under a rock
                                                                                                                         I find       myself
                                                                                                                                  R.D. Bailey, Jamaica

                                                                                   skein by skein
                                                                                   dusk returns the geese
                                                                                   to the marsh
                                                                                             John Barlow, UK
street artist –
autumn sunset
is not for sale

уличный художник  
не продается
осенний закат
          Helen Barysheva, Russia

                                                                                                                        autumn night
                                                                                                                        more stars than leaves
                                                                                                                        forest walk

                                                                                                                        mountain stream
                                                                                                                        I watch myself flow
                                                                                                                        downhill
                                                                                                                                Mona Bedi, India

lull in the squall
the earthly scent
of a stone angel

répit dans l’orage
l’odeur terreuse
d’un ange en pierre

shuttered train station
the weathered reds
of different trees

gare murée
les rouges burinés
d'arbres différents
         Maxianne Berger, Canada

                                                                                                                        a snow goose
                                                                                                                        narrows the gap
                                                                                                                        autumn twilight
                                                                                                                                Tom Bierovic, USA

                                                                               a mourner’s song
                                                                               circles the stones
                                                                               the colour of leaves
                                                                                      Bisshie, Switzerland

                                                                                                                       the sounds of autumn
                                                                                                                       mother’s music box holds
                                                                                                                       stardust
                                                                                                                                Ed Bremson, USA

fading wildflowers
deep in the dewy meadow
a new chrysalis

welkende Wildblumen
tief in der taufeuchten Wiese
ein neuer Kokon
         Benjamin Bläsi, Switzerland

                                                                                                                       the last warm day
                                                                                                                       asking my students
                                                                                                                       to define the sky
                                                                                                                                Kristyn Blessing, USA

                                                                                   lingering over
                                                                                   the warm copper pan
                                                                                   harvest moon
                                                                                           Helen Buckingham, UK

the pleading eyes
of a hunter’s trophy
filmed with frost

walking in snowfall
the lost moments
of my passing life
          John Budan, USA

                                                                                                                        dead tree shakes
                                                                                                                        under raven’s weight
                                                                                                                        winter solstice
                                                                                                                                 Alanna C. Burke, USA

that imprinted design
on your pupils –
autumn moon

quel disegno impresso
sulle tue pupille -
luna d'autunno

fallen leaf –
slowly settles down
on the dew

foglia caduta -
lentamente si posa
sulla rugiada
         Dennys Cambarau, Italy

                                                                                  autumn sunset
                                                                                  leaves and sky
                                                                                  melting together
    
                                                                                  tramonto d'autunno
                                                                                  foglie e cielo
                                                                                  si fondono
 
                                                                                  silence . . .
                                                                                  a choir of sparrows
                                                                                 on light snow
 
                                                                                 silenzio . . .
                                                                                 un coro di passeri
                                                                                 sulla neve leggera
                                                                                          Mariangela Canzi, Italy
 
chokeberry jam
the tumbling keen
of gulls

a pothole
just deep enough . . .
the sleeping stray
          Matthew Caretti, USA
 
                                                                                                                        planting bulbs
                                                                                                                        I wake
                                                                                                                        the sleeping toad
                                                                                                                                 Louise Carson, Canada
 
bird-pecked grapes
my hand reaching
for the moon
 
iskljucan grozd
ruka posiže
za mjesečinom
 
viaduct
under each arch
moonlight
 
vijadukt
ispod svakog luka
mjesečina
         Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia
 
                                                                                  just the sound
                                                                                 of leaves crunching as i walk –
                                                                                 solitude
 
                                                                                 cannot stop
                                                                                 the leaves from blowing away –
                                                                                Alzheimer’s
                                                                                           Vernon Chain, USA
 
                                                                                                                         fallen, but
                                                                                                                         the scarecrow’s face
                                                                                                                         still smiling
                                                                                                                             Kanchan Chatterjee, India
 
                                                                                   Shiki Day
                                                                                   even the gourd wind chime
                                                                                   ringing
 
                                                               瓢箪の風鈴鳴つて子規忌かな 千秋
 
                                                                                  a blind man
                                                                                  stops to listen . . .
                                                                                  crossing hawks
 
                                                           耳澄ます盲人のゐて鷹渡る  千秋
                                                                                    Christina Chin, Malaysia
 
autumn garden
grandma still smiles
at grandpa’s letters
 
ogród jesienią
babcia wciąż uśmiecha się
do listów dziadka
         Sebastian Chrobak, Poland
 
                                                                                                     enchanted
                                                                                                     by a blue star . . .
                                                                                                     balloon flower
 
                                                                                                     shorter days . . .
                                                                                                     this creaking in the eaves
                                                                                                     of my parents’ house
                                                                                                          Marion Clarke, Northern  Ireland
 
frost moon
our fallen leaves curl up
together
 
for awhile
resting on a toadstool
red leaf
         Sue Colpitts, Canada
 
                                                                                   bonfire
                                                                                   no group photo this year
                                                                                   still—a bonfire
                                                                                            Vera Constantineau, Canada
 
                                                                                                                      soya bean harvest . . .
                                                                                                                     welcome to my garage
                                                                                                                      little cricket
                                                                                                                                 Bryan D. Cook, Canada
 
first frost
a fantail fluffs up
feather blankets
 
stage 4
the tree becomes
a skeleton
        Sue Courtney, New Zealand
 
                                                                                                                          shimmering moon
                                                                                                                          the warmth of
                                                                                                                          kind words
                                                                                                                                   Ronald K. Craig, USA
 
                                                                                  Ripe grapes.
                                                                                 A flock of starlings sings
                                                                                 in the vineyard.

                                                                                 Zrelo grožđe.
                                                                                 Jato čvoraka pjeva
                                                                                u vinogradu.
                                                                                        Stjepan Crnić, Croatia

autumn wind –
goodbye written
on a paper moon

hangin sa taglagas -
paalam isinulat
sa papel na buwan 

an interlude
between yes and maybe
in the falling leaves

intermedyo
sa pagitan ng oo at marahil
sa mga nalalaglag na dahoon
        Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines
 
                                                                                                                         first red leaves
                                                                                                                         on the Maple –
                                                                                                                         autumn moon
                                                                                                                            Anne Curran, New Zealand
 
hand-shaking . . .
the formal beginning
of my bereavement

ръкостискане...
официалното начало
на моя траур

New Year’s day
the same version of me
as ever

Нова година
все още съм същата
версия на себе си
        Maya Daneva, Canada/Bulgaria

                                                                                  autumn storm . . .
                                                                                  stripping color
                                                                                  leaf by leaf

                                                                                 autumn chill . . .
                                                                                 at recess, children
                                                                                 don new hats

                                                                                 colors fade
                                                                                 into winter’s chill . . .
                                                                                 this life’s journey
                                                                                        Risë Daniels, USA

                                                                                                                         spider webs drape
                                                                                                                         the garden tools –
                                                                                                                         spring far off

                                                                                                                         this autumn
                                                                                                                         the old man’s gourds
                                                                                                                         unharvested
                                                                                                              Frank Dax, South Korea

cold morning . . .
our dreams melt
like snow

mattino freddo . . .
si sciogle come neve
il nostro sogno

autumn . . .
the scent
of the last rose

autunno . . .
il profumo
dell’ultima rosa

winter sky . . .
the colours disappear
under the snow

cielo d’inverno . . .
scompaiono i colori
sotto la neve
            Rosa Maria Di Salvatore, Italy

                                                                                                                        gust of wind
                                                                                                                        the snowflake falls
                                                                                                                        on another tongue

                                                                                                                        coup de vent
                                                                                                                        le flocon tombe
                                                                                                                        sur une autre langue

                                                                                                                    winter bleakness
                                                                                                                    and if there were no more stars
                                                                                                                    behind the clouds
  
                                                                                                                        grisaille d’hiver –
                                                                                                                        et s’il n’y avait plus d’étoiles
                                                                                                                        derrière les nuages
                                                                                                                                  Marie Derley, Belgium

frost on the ground –
the crescendo
of Canada geese

autumn rain . . .
from under a Big Leaf Maple
a tree frog’s song

rain-soaked
pampas grass,
head bent low
            elehna de sousa, Canada

                                                                                                                        out-screeching
                                                                                                                         the rake’s gentle scrape
                                                                                                                         a cockatoo flyover
                                                                                                                                 Jan Dobb, Australia

                                                                                  gusty winds
                                                                                  sweep fallen leaves
                                                                                  deeper into autumn
                                                                                         Carmela Dolce, USA

by the light
of the moon
starfish

winter limbs
only the pompoms
of squirrel nests

ancient cedar
every limb heavy
with time
         June Rose Dowis, USA

                                                                                                                         cold temple floor
                                                                                                                         my prayers
                                                                                                                         abridged

                                                                                                                        daylight savings
                                                                                                                        something new to say
                                                                                                                        to the neighbor
                                                                                                                                Johnette Downing, USA

dazzle
in the snowbound window
the eyes of a doe

ярка светлина
в заснежения прозорец
очите на сърна
            Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria

                                                                                                                        making his bed
                                                                                                                        elderly man unrolls a blanket
                                                                                                                        beneath an overpass
                                                                                                                                   John J. Dunphy, USA

                                                                                 frosty morning
                                                                                 echoing through woodland
                                                                                 the bark of a muntjac
                                                                                           Maureen Edden, UK

crescent moon
cuts the sky
cricket chirps slowing

autumn sky
walnuts cling
to bare branches
        Susan Farner, USA

                                                                                                                         leafless tree
                                                                                                                         dad and toddler fish
                                                                                                                         a storm puddle

                                                                                                                        rainbow trees
                                                                                                                        mantle the waterfall
                                                                                                                        her cold hand in mine
                                                                                                                                 Ignatius Fay, Canada

the hermit thrush
hops along the fence
autumn drizzle

midnight chill
the distant barking
of harbor seals
         Bruce H. Feingold, USA

                                                                                                      frozen river
                                                                                                      the ground is still breathing
                                                                                                      beneath it

                                                                                                      nagyelong ilog
                                                                                                      humihinga pa rin ang lupa
                                                                                                      sa ilalim nito
                                                                                                                 Nestorio Felerino, Philippines

                                    woods’ health depends on squirrels’ forgetting

                                      autumn field now a meadow now a woods

                                     today the first morning i see my own breath
                                                                                                 Jeff Ferrara, USA
        
                                                                                           alone
                                                                           the mooncake still cut
                                                                                           in two

                                                                                      still warm –
                                                                                      the empty
                                                                                      cup
                                                                                             P.H. Fischer, Canada

autumn twilight
I brush before sleep
mother’s hair

jesienny zmierzch
szczotkuję przed snem
włosy mamy

cemetery path
my daugters’ pockets
full of chestnuts

cmentarna ścieżka
kieszenie moich córek
pełne kasztanów
 
frosty morning
your pillow 
still warm
 
mroźny ranek
twoja poduszka
jeszcze ciepła

croaking crows
in the morning my father
cracks walnuts

krakanie wrony
wczesnym rankiem mój ojciec
łupie orzechy
         Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland

                                                                                  autumn ends
                                                                                 under the stillness
                                                                                 leaves of gold

                                                                                 autumn
                                                                                 again
                                                                                 this
                                                                                 stillness
                                                                                 hanging

                                                                                 over the ache
                                                                                 an autumn mist
                                                                                 folds into the valley

                                                                                 singing
                                                                                 into the silence
                                                                                 a blackbird lingers
                                                                                         Jenny Fraser, New Zealand
back porch
a yellow leaf is resting
on the wheelchair

veranda
žuti list leži
na ljuljački
       Zhelyko Funda, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                       all the secrets
                                                                                                                       I’ve kept from my son –
                                                                                                                       melting snow
                                                                                                                              Joshua Gage, USA
 
                                                                             undressing
                                                                             leaf by leaf by leaf
                                                                            Mexican ash
                                                                                    william scott galasso, USA
 
Florida ducks
Have returned.
Autumn is leaving
 
Han regresado
Los patos de Florida.
Se va el otoño.
 
Under a moon
that does not shine yet
autumn afternoon.
 
Bajo una luna
que aùn no alumbra:
tarde de otoño.
          Rafael Garcia Bidò, Dominican Republic
 
                                                                                   expanded coal use . . .
                                                                                   fading day after day
                                                                                   the maple leaves
 
                                                                                   raširena upotreba ugljena . . .
                                                                                   blijedi iz dana u dan
                                                                                   javorovo lišće
 
                                                                                  sleepless night . . .
                                                                                  following the river corridor
                                                                                  pandemic moon
 
                                                                                  besana noć . . .
                                                                                  prateći riječni koridor
                                                                                  pandemijski mjesec
 
                                                                                  acres of mist
                                                                                  obscuring the snowy tracks
                                                                                  of an owl
 
                                                                                  hektari magle
                                                                                  zaklanjajući snježne tragove
                                                                                  sove
                                                                                         Goran Gatalica, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                         plum sake . . .
                                                                                                                         I fall in love
                                                                                                                        with the autumn moon
                                                                                                                                   Garry Gay, USA
 
a single
monarch butterfly
who speaks first
 
phrases
of a familiar tune
the moon sets
          Marilyn Gehant, USA
 
                                                                                                                      moon still up
                                                                                                                      a city worker begins to replace
                                                                                                                      missing street signs
 
                                                                                                                      scattered leaves
                                                                                                                      neighbors
                                                                                                                      I never bothered with
                                                                                                                                LeRoy Gorman, Canada
 
Fall arrives.
Where do
the cicadas hide?
 
Llega el otoño.
¿Dónde se esconden 
las cigarras?
 
Oh silence!
In the harsh winter
not even the rooster.
 
¡ Oh silencio ! 
En el crudo invierno,
ni el gallo.
       Eduardo Gûisiano, Argentina
 
                                                                                October dusk
                                                                                sunflower seeds falling
                                                                                in light rain
 
                                                              even the smallest leaf connected
                                                                                                 Charles Harmon, USA
 
Autumn
It was my mother’s
dry hands
 
پاییز،
دستانِ خشکیده ی
مادرم بود
       Amir Hasanvandi, Iran
 
                                                                                                                          spider season
                                                                                                                          all the leaves
                                                                                                                          turning red
                                                                                                                                 John Hawkhead, UK
 
                                                                                  moonlight
                                                                                  on red maple leaves
                                                                                  the weight of dew
 
                                                                  月光洒红叶,露珠更凝重 
 
                                                                                  moonlit park
                                                                                  a rabbit jumps
                                                                                 with my thoughts
 
                                                                    月光照公园,拙想随兔跃
                                                                                                                  David He, China
 
                                                                                                                breath clouds
                                                                                                                on a starry night
                                                                                                                aurora borealis
                                                                                                                           Karin Hedetniemi, Canada
 
labyrinth walk
by October’s Hunter Moon
every candle a soul
       Deborah Burke Henderson, USA
 
                                                                                                                         morning snow
                                                                                                                         smoke from the chimney
                                                                                                                         of the old man’s place
                                                                                                                                 Chad Henry, USA
 
fluffy sparrows
in the naked plum
shelter
 
fuwa fuwa suzume
hadaka no ume ni
kakumau
 
ふわふわスズメ
裸の梅 に
匿う
         Judith Hishikawa, USA
 
                                                                                                                         stacking firewood
                                                                                                                              a hard frost
                                                                                                                                   on the land
                                                                                                                                      Gary Hittmeyer, USA
 
                                                                                late winter –
                                                                                the lengthening ash
                                                                                of the incense stick
 
                                                                               who will get
                                                                               my jar of pennies –
                                                                               autumn rain
                                                                                        Ruth Holzer, USA
 
yellow-tinged leaves
a white butterfly
with everywhere to go
 
steeple bells
sunset draws hawks
across the hills
 
home again
a white moth
from the suitcase
       Frank Hooven, USA
 
                                                                                                                warm October
                                                                                                                settling into Point Pelee
                                                                                                                migrating monarchs
                                                                                                                            Louisa Howerow, Canada
 
full moon
atop the bare branches
at roost
 
autumn day
coots tumble
to the lake

winter tide
all the shells piled
and spilled
        Marilyn Humbert, Australia
 
                                                                                                                       a grey day
                                                                                                                       collecting the yellow
                                                                                                                       of gingko leaves

                                                                                                                       past midnight
                                                                                                                      wind carries the autumn leaves
                                                                                                                      north
 
                                                                                                                      sudden nightfall
                                                                                                                      the whole of winter
                                                                                                                      to come
                                                                                                                             Erica Ison, UK
 
winter wilderness
losing the way
to oneself
 
pustiu de iarnă –
rătăcind drumul
către sine
 
virgin snow –
the color
of silence
 
zăpada virgină –
culoarea
tăcerii
          Dan Iulian, Romania
 
                                                      even after autumn another autumn stays
                                                                                                               Lakshmi Iyer, India
 
                                                                                                                        saying nothing
                                                                                                                        about everything
                                                                                                                        empty shells
                                                                                                                                    Rick Jackofsky, USA
 
even
a leafless tree
hosts birdsong

color
of emptiness
March sky
         Roberta Beach Jacobson, USA
 
                                                                                                                         Leaves changing color
                                                                                                                         just one more day
                                                                                                                         and I feel old
 
                                                                                                                         Feuilles changent de couleur
                                                                                                                         juste une autre journée
                                                                                                                         se sentir vieux
                                                                                                                                 Liette Janelle, Canada
 
after the rain
it sails into the unknown
ant on the leaf
 
nakon kiše
plovi u nepoznato
mrav na listu 
           Zvonko Jurcevic, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                        once before
                                                                                                                        going to bed
                                                                                                                        winter wren
 
                                                                                                                        a fresh take
                                                                                                                        on the song of a wren
                                                                                                                        winter’s end
                                                                                                                                 Elmedin Kadric, Sweden
 
                                                                                 Elevated train
                                                                                 a full moon for a while
                                                                                 in the window
 
                                                               高架行く車窓にしばし望の月
 
                                                                                 Evening drizzle
                                                                                 not enough to silence
                                                                                 chirping crickets
 
                                                                虫の声鎮めぬほどに夕の雨
                                                                                                  Satoru Kanematsu, Japan
 
raven calls
gliding over the treetops
memories
 
Rabenrufe
über die Wipfel gleitend
Erinnerungen
 
chestnuts
picking them up
all my fears
 
Kastanien
Ich lese sie auf
all meine Ängste
          Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany
 
                                                                                                                          the flight of cranes
                                                                                                                          over letters to mom
                                                                                                                          volunteer
 
                                                                                                                          przelot żurawi
                                                                                                                          nad listami do mamy
                                                                                                                          wolontariuszka
 
                                                                                                                          the cemetery in winter
                                                                                                                          under white blanket
                                                                                                                          nameless
 
                                                                                                                          cmentarz zimą
                                                                                                                          pod białym pledem
                                                                                                                          bezimienni
                                                                                                                             Wiesław Karliński, Poland
 
old fence –
a cat crosses
the full moon
 
broken tombstone –
a squirrel buries
its acorn
         Skylar Kay, Canada
 
                                                                                                                       winter wind
                                                                                                                       staying inside
                                                                                                                       myself
                                                                                                                                 Bill Kenney, USA
 
autumn moon
grandma’s empty chair
stares at the window
 
خزاں کا چاند
دادی کی خالی کرسی
کھڑکی کو گھورتے ہوئے
           Mohammad Azim Khan, Pakistan
 
                                                                                                                       snow turns to rain
                                                                                                                        the sting
                                                                                                                        gradually eases
                                                                                                                                 kj munro, Canada
 
tangled kelp
a crab scurries along
the tide line

evening on the lake
your paddle rearranges
the stars
         Deborah P Kolodji, USA
 
                                                                               visiting hours
                                                                               on a hospice window stool
                                                                               a dry leaf alights
 
                                                                              sati posjeta
                                                                              na prozor hospicija
                                                                              slijeće suhi list
 
                                                                             shed under snow –
                                                                             fathomless years
                                                                             of the kabuki actor
 
                                                                            koliba pod snijegom –
                                                                            nedokučive godine
                                                                            kabuki glumca
                                                                                    Nina Kovačić, Croatia
 
paths in the fog
absorbed by autumn
former dreams
 
ścieżki we mgle
wchłonięte przez jesień
dawne marzenia
      Marek Kozubek, Poland
 
                                                                                                                         the long trail to here
                                                                                                                             Australopithecus
                                                                                                                          footprints in stone
                                                                                                                                 Jeff Kressman, USA
 
cloudburst . . .
discarded tin can
full again
 
silovit naliv
odvržena konzerva
končno spet polna
 
an old man
a little shivering
just his shadow
 
živahen starček
nekoliko tresoča
njegova senca
        Samo Kreutz, Slovenia
 
                                                                                                                        deep in September
                                                                                                                        treelawn milkweed
                                                                                                                        still waiting
 
                                                                                                                        in the after-rain
                                                                                                                        every leaf in the garden
                                                                                                                        and i breathing in
 
                                                                                                                       at the water bowl
                                                                                                                       drinking our moon . . .
                                                                                                                       possum
                                                                                                                                  Jill Lange, USA
 
                                                                                 stubble field
                                                                                 a light dusting of snow
                                                                                 softens the scarecrow
 
                                                                                daylight savings –
                                                                                i set my alarm
                                                                                by the moon
                                                                                         Michael Henry Lee, USA
 
a moment ago
brimming with promise
bruised apples
 
bare i sted
så fulle av forventning
nedfallsepler
       Hege Jakobsen Lepri, Canada/Norway
 
                                                                                                                        pumpkin stand
                                                                                                                        bringing the harvest moon
                                                                                                                        home with me
                                                                                                                                  Barrie Levine, USA
 
not hurting
a soul
blue winter sky
        Kristen Lindquist, USA
 
                                                                                                                         more phases
                                                                                                                         than I imagined
                                                                                                                         autumn moon
                                                                                                                                 Darrell Lindsey, USA
 
                                                                                  light of snow
                                                                                  my newborn’s chest rises
                                                                                  with every breath
 
                                                                                 雪光
                                                                                 每一次呼吸我的新生兒
                                                                                 胸部隆起
                                                                                          Chen-ou Liu, Canada
 
autumn
the unraveling
of a clematis
 
liquidamber
autumn flows over
the leaves
          Gregory Longenecker, USA
 
                                                                                                                       mother’s Yahrzeit . . .
                                                                                                                        autumn leaves exhaling
                                                                                                                        tendrils of mist
                                                                                                                                Amy Losak, USA
 
oneness
nothing but the silence
and this moon
 
unità
null’altro che il silenzio
e questa luna 
 
perfect circle
the first raindrop
into the pond
 
perfect circle
the first raindrop
into the pond
          Oscar Luparia, Italy
 
                                                                                 leaf skeleton
                                                                                 touching someone’s silence
 
                                                                                scheletro di foglia
                                                                                toccando il silenzio di qualcun altro
 
                                                                                death bells
                                                                                her mother’s face
                                                                                now on her face
 
                                                                               campane a morto
                                                                               il volto di sua madre
                                                                               ora sul suo viso
                                                                                       Carmela Marino, Italy
 
                                                                                                                       autumn cool winds –
                                                                                                                       from a dusty jar
                                                                                                                       childhood marbles
                                                                                                                                 Richard L. Matta, USA
 
                                                                                autumn leaves
                                                                                snails stuck in shells
                                                                                each year—the old habit
                                                                                          Germina Melius, Saint Lucia
 
Thread and needles
Mending little clothes
and lonely days
 
Hilo y agujas
Remendando ropitas
y soledades
         Lía Miersch, Argentina
 
                                                                                    click of a cane
                                                                                    across the street from my window . . .
                                                                                    autumn moon
                                                                                           Mark Miller, Australia
 
evening guest
in the squirrel’s hollow
a moonbeam
 
oaspete de seară  
în scorbura veveriței   
o rază de lună
        Vasile Moldovan, Romania
 
                                                                                 her dog’s long lashes
                                                                                 more gray now
                                                                                  autumn dusk
 
                                                                                 new year
                                                                                 after a decade of not speaking
                                                                                 they wish each other well
                                                                                             Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA
 
                                                                                                                        almost forgotten
                                                                                                                        plum tomatoes
                                                                                                                        covered by frost
                                                                                                                             Mike Montreuil, Canada
 
                                                                                   full wolf moon
                                                                                   the silence broken
                                                                                   by a baying dog
 
                                                                                   chill in the air
                                                                                   I wear his old sweater
                                                                                   to rake leaves
                                                                                             Joanne Morcom, Canada
 
caper flower
on the crumbling wall
seeds’ dormancy
 
un fiore di capero
sul muro in rovina . . .
la dormienza dei semi
        Luciana Moretto, Italy
 
                                                                                                                        kicking through
                                                                                                                        the crumpled smell of leaves
                                                                                                                        autumn night
 
                                                                                                                       resting leaf –
                                                                                                                       the lightness
                                                                                                                       of mother’s hand
                                                                                                                               Laurie D. Morrisey, USA
 
window creak
the comfort
of soft autumn rain
 
autumn mountain
the sharp sound
of the stream
        Tim Murphy, Ireland/Spain
 
                                                                                                                       put the rumors
                                                                                                                       of tension to rest
                                                                                                                       rainbow
 
                                                                                                                       gokkusagi
                                                                                                                       gergin söylentiler
                                                                                                                       geri dursun
                                                                                                                                  Guliz Mutlu, Turkey
 
                                                                                  red moon rising
                                                                                  the distant yipping
                                                                                  of coyotes
                                                                                            Nika, Canada
 
a sacred glow
you leave behind . . .
sentient coyote
          Veronika Zora Novak, Canada
 
                                                                                                                         falling leaf –
                                                                                                                         from long ago
                                                                                                                         love’s pain
                                                                                                                                David Oates, USA
 
open window –
eavesdropping
on gathering fog
 
autumn wind
         my leaves
                   my neighbor’s
                            Helen Ogden, USA
 
                                                                                                                          autumn snow
                                                                                                                          the cawing of a crow
                                                                                                                          fades to white
                                                                                                                                   Victor Ortiz, USA
 
                                                                                  in this spoonful
                                                                                  the cloves I forgot to remove –
                                                                                  Apple Charlotte
                                                                                              Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland
 
taps . . .
a row of sunflowers
with bowed heads
 
autumn nightfall
Mahler’s Adagietto
deepens
        Roland Packer, Canada
 
                                                                                                                        growing dark
                                                                                                                        pale moon brightens –
                                                                                                                        the depth of silence
                                                                                                                                 Scott Packer, Canada
 
my blind dog
sniffs the air . . . ah, the cry
of wild geese
 
мой слепой пёс
нюхает воздух . . . а, крик
диких гусей
           Sasha A. Palmer, USA/Russia

                                                                                                                        frigid days
                                                                                                                        last autumn drained out
                                                                                                                        from the leaves

                                                                                                                        mrzli dani
                                                                                                                        posljednja jesen
                                                                                                                        iscijeđena iz lišća
                                                                                                                             Dejan Pavlinović, Croatia

autumn moon . . .
the missing colour
in my sewing box

winter moon
a nautilus shell
rinsed by the tide

winter dawn
I stretch the clay
from its sleep
         Dru Philippou, USA

                                                                                                                        ebb tide
                                                                                                                        in the setting sun
                                                                                                                        Miyajima
                                                                                                                                 Greg Piko, Australia

                                                                                 one knit one pearl . . .
                                                                                 echoing the child
                                                                                 a grey butcherbird
                                                                                           Madhuri Pillai, Australia

autumn rain –
on the stem of a rose,
a snail

pioggia d’autunno –
sullo stelo di una rosa,
una lumaca

autumn mist –
a veil of sadness
in her eyes

nebbia d’autunno –
un velo di tristeza
nei suoi occhi
         Maria Teresa Piras, Italy

                                                                                                                     the harvest moon . . .
                                                                                                                     bright reflections on
                                                                                                                     my mother’s face

                                                                                                                     pun mjesec . . .
                                                                                                                     odraz svjetlosti
                                                                                                                     na licu majke
                                                                                                                              Vlasta Pirker, Croatia
                                                                                                                             (Translated by D.V. Rozic)

                                                                              limestone shoreline
                                                                              I smooth away
                                                                              the day’s edges

                                                        what’s mine in mist a ghost moon
                                                                                         Thomas Powell, Wales, UK
    
                                                                                                                       winter garden
                                                                                                                       pinning my luck
                                                                                                                       on broccoli
                                                                                                                              Sandi Pray, USA

Night after night
October sun shines
on my pillow

Notte dopo notte
Il sole d’ottobre splende
sul mio cuscino
 
Uncertain steps
The shadow of your rose
between my hands

I passi incerti
L’ombra della tua rosa
tra le mie mani
       Maria Cristina Pulvirenti, Italy
 
                                                                                                                        nature’s gift
                                                                                                                        the eternal beauty
                                                                                                                        of snowflakes
                                                                                                                                  Carol Raisfeld, USA

                                                                                  autumn sunset –
                                                                                  the lost child’s crayons
                                                                                  fill the sky
                                                                                          Milan Rajkumar, India

low fog
over my prayer
moonlight

la nebbia bassa
sopra la mia preghiera
chiaro de luna

let yourself go
like an autumn leaf
even windless

lasciarse andare
come foglia d’autunno
anche senza vento

winter sky
among the wood of the fireplace
sleeps a cricket

cielo d’inverno
fra la legna del camino
dorme un grillo
         Nazarena Rampini, Italy

                                                                                                                        river breeze
                                                                                                                        the shiver
                                                                                                                        of maidenhair ferns
                                                                                                                                Ivan Randall, Australia

                                                                              shorter days but
                                                                              every ginkgo leaf
                                                                              golden
                                                                                       Dian Duchin Reed, USA

cutting firewood
I study
climate change
           Carol Reynolds, Australia

                                                                                                                          autumn moon
                                                                                                                          our neighbors calling
                                                                                                                          porch to porch
                                                                                                                                Nancy Richards, Canada

ghosts and witches
knocking at the kitchen door
my mask meeting theirs

pandemic autumn:
missing the lower halves
of friends’ faces

reusing
my weakening tea bag
all-day blizzard
        Edward J. Rielly, USA

                                                                                                                 autumn
                                                                                                                 footsteps
                                                                                                                 buried in the sand
                                                                                                                   Richard Roberts, New Zealand

flooded meadow
here and there a splash
of coho coming home

a dream
of longships gliding . . .
elk in deep grass

winter’s fog
stealing up the valley
stealing the firs
           Aron Rothstein, USA

                                                                                                                        autumn blues
                                                                                                                         a paper wasp crawls
                                                                                                                         into my poetry book
                                                                                                                               Cynthia Rowe, Australia

by the window
waiting for the visit
of the harvest moon

pored prozora
čekam posjetu
žetvenog mjeseca
         D. V. Rozic, Croatia
 
                                                                                                                         cold dawn
                                                                                                                         on the shore
                                                                                                                         just the imprint of waves

                                                                                                                         bearing witness
                                                                                                                         to her chemotherapy
                                                                                                                         autumn trees
                                                                                                                                    Srinivas S, India

                                                           first frost the finch’s visible song
                                                                                          Barbara Sabol, USA
christmas eve
the beggar at a temple
shifts his stance

క్రిస్మస్ పండుగ
గుడి దగ్గరి ఓ భిక్షగాడు 
మకాం మార్చేశాడు
 
first snow
two banyan roots hold
an empty swing

మొదటి మంచు 
రెండు మఱ్ఱి ఊడల మధ్య 
ఓ ఖాళీ ఊయల
           Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India

                                                                                                                       lost
                                                                                                                       in the rhythm of the forest –
                                                                                                                       autumn solitude
                                                                                                                                 Bona M. Santos, USA
two parrots
swinging on a cable
time pauses . . .

autumn breeze
yellow pages of grandma’s
recipe book
          Minal Sarosh, India

                                                                                                                          narrow trail
                                                                                                                          branches and leaves
                                                                                                                          dapple me
                                                                                                                                  Agnes Eva Savich, USA

harvest time
birdsong fading
into the day’s last light

temps des moissons
le chant des oiseaux s’évanouit
dans les dernières lueurs du jour
          Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland

                                                                                                                       rolling the river
                                                                                                                       off the tips of each wing
                                                                                                                       migration wind

                                                                                                                      dressing
                                                                                                                       for the wake –
                                                                                                                       newly-turned trees
                                                                                                                                  Julie Schwerin, USA

autumn dusk
a bird’s nest brims
with fallen leaves
      Teji Sethi, India
     
                                                                                                                       foggy morning . . .
                                                                                                                       I try to understand
                                                                                                                       a crow’s conversation
                                                                                                                                 Manoj Sharma, Nepal

forecast for tomorrow
all day long
leaf fall

прогноз на завтра
весь день
листопад
       Dmitry Shestakovsky, Ukraine

                                                                                Woodpecker
                                                                                 drumming ‘Symphony No.5’
                                                                                 out of the window
                                                           
                                                    窓外に啄木鳥叩く第五シンフォニー

                                                                               The last persimmon
                                                                                soon disappeared from the bough –
                                                                                crow's voices

                                                             木守柿すぐに消ゆるや烏鳴く
                                                                                                                  Kyoko Shimizu, Japan

empty beach . . .
footsteps of a man
and a dog

пуст плаж...
стъпки на мъж
и куче
          Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria

                                                                                  full moon
                                                                                  in the dry bouquet
                                                                                  the white dandelion

                                                                                  полнолуние
                                                                                  в сухом букете
                                                                                  белый одуванчик
                                                                                             Alexander Shytkovskiy, Ukraine

                                                                                                                     Zigzag traces
                                                                                                                     suspended on the horizon . . .
                                                                                                                     wild geese in flight
                                                                                                                           Keith A. Simmonds, France

autumn dusk . . .
only my shadow
walks with me

fading light
makes gourds glow
harvest moon
        Neena Singh, India

                                                                                   full moon
                                                                                   the emptiness
                                                                                   of the rest

                                                                                   pun mjesec
                                                                                   praznoća
                                                                                   svega ostalog

                                                                                   autumn wind
                                                                                   in old man’s mailbox
                                                                                   just a maple leaf

                                                                                   jesenji vjetar
                                                                                   u starčevom poštanskom sandučetu
                                                                                   samo javorov list
                                                                                             Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro

roof top view
so glad
our cat called

vue du toit
si contente
que le chat ait appelé
        Sandra St-Laurent, Canada
 
                                                                                                                  puff of wind
                                                                                                                  a butterfly wing
                                                                                                                  takes flight
 
                                                                                                                  late autumn
                                                                                                                  two curled feathers
                                                                                                                  in the old nest
                                                                                                                        Barbara Strang, New Zealand
 
night of stars
the singing bowl
of our campfire
 
lifting fog
the day breaks into
something other
           Debbie Strange, Canada
 
                                                                                                                  October, children
                                                                                                                  quarreling to light up
                                                                                                                  Diwali’s first lamp
                                                                                                                        Mohit Kumar Tanwar, India
 
uncrushed
the moon gives taste
to the new wine
 
nestrivită
luna dă gust
noului vin
        Eduard Ţară, Romania
 
                                                                                                                  full moon
                                                                                                                  Bogong moths rattle
                                                                                                                   the screen door
                                                                                                                         Barbara A. Taylor, Australia
 
stew season –
flavoring dusk with the scent
of thyme
 
corn maze
we purposely
lose ourselves
 
All Soul’s day
the space between then and now
shifts just a little
          Angela Terry, USA
 
                                                                                                                         slow wake
                                                                                                                         through a cloud filled sky
                                                                                                                         blue moon
 
                                                                                                                         a cold wind
                                                                                                                         ruffles dove’s feathers
                                                                                                                         the hospital eave
                                                                                                                                  Nicole Tilde, USA
 
gentle sun –
a burgundy leaf settles
on mother’s grave
 
soare blând –
o frunză bordo se aşează
pe mormântul mamei
 
calm night –
snow flakes slowly come down
over yesterday’s
 
noapte calmă –
câţiva fulgi coboară rar
peste cei de ieri
        Maria Tirenescu, Romania
 
                                                                                  autumn gold –
                                                                                  the glen lit up
                                                                                  with double rainbows
 
                                                                                  cinnamon tea –
                                                                                  the warmth that fills
                                                                                  an autumn evening
 
                                                                                 moonless sky –
                                                                                 the clouds clear
                                                                                 for green aurora
                                                                                          Xenia Tran, Scotland, UK
 
night fishing
i catch a limit
of moonlight
 
autumn migration
a hummingbird lingers
as if to say goodbye
 
autumn wind
the empty shell
of a cicada
        Kevin Valentine, USA
 
                                                                                                                          bonfire of leaves
                                                                                                                          the smell of autumn
                                                                                                                          deepens
                                                                                                                                   Rp Verlaine, USA
 
                                                                                   unable to sleep
                                                                                   outside my window
                                                                                   aurora dance
                                                                                            Mary Vlooswyk, Canada
 
Hunter’s moon
the weary pitcher gathers
himself up
 
Охотничья Луна 
собирается с духом 
усталый питчер 
       Anna Viazmitinova, Ukraine
 
                                                                                 golden lace dress –
                                                                                 the chestnut tree shakes
                                                                                 its last leaves

                                                                                rochia de dantelă galbenă –
                                                                                castanul își scutură
                                                                                ultimele frunze
                                                                                          Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania
 
in a stone angel’s
cupped palms . . .
autumn butterfly
 
a sparkly frost
over the cottonfield
autumn moon
       Marilyn Appl Walker, USA
 
                                                                                                                          a grey wind
                                                                                                                          on the horizon
                                                                                                                          aroma of winter ice
                                                                                                                                   David Watts, USA
 
flaming sunrise
high overhead a skein of geese
heading south
           Sheila Weaver, Canada
 
                                                                           the smell of smoke
                                                                           in my daughter's hair . . .
                                                                           autumn leaves
                                                                                     Michael Dylan Welch, USA

                                                                                                                          snowed in on Christmas
                                                                                                                          I’d be alone without you
                                                                                                                          dark eyed juncos
                                                                                                                                  Kelley Jean White, USA
 
random yellow
of cottonwood leaves
autumn tempo
          Scott Wiggerman, USA
 
                                                                                                                         between ground and tree
                                                                                                                         orb weaver
                                                                                                                         news of refugees
                                                                                                                                  Elaine Wilburt, USA
 
                                                                                  autumn chill
                                                                                  a bee zigzags
                                                                                  the lawn
                                                                                         Tony Williams, Scotland, UK
 
mother’s passing
I bury myself
in a pile of leaves
 
odejście matki
zagrzebuję się
w stosie liści
 
I wait for the light
inside my head to go out
deepening winter
 
czekam aż światło
w mojej głowie zgaśnie
głęboka zima
 
windborne leaves
a child’s time running
in small steps
 
liście na wietrze
czas dziecka biegnie
małymi krokami
          Ernest Wit, Poland
 
                                       a leaf slowly turning past the pilgrim’s deep bow
                                                                                                     Robert Witmer, Japan
 
the space between branches
where wind was
Hunter’s Moon
 
                                                where backwater meets river your touch
                                                                                               Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA
 
                                                                                                                           moonlight drops
                                                                                                                           with the persimmon
                                                                                                                           autumn ends
                                                                                                                                    Jann Wright, USA
 
autumn ocean
our paddles dig deeply
into the quiet
         J. Zimmerman, USA

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