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Welcome to this new Spring/Summer issue of our journal. You will find a lighter tone, overall, rising above the sadness of today’s world, the poets finding beauty in blossoms, birds, nature in general. Some poets deftly express their feelings of loss and grief about the current world issues as well. Bruce Ross, the founding editor of this journal and my husband, recently celebrated his 80th birthday. As you all know by now, he has stepped down since early 2024 due to advancing illness. His involvement with haiku has been life long, he has been an early supporter of international haiku and “revived” interest in haibun. He was president of the Haiku Society of America in the early 1990s. He wrote the seminal anthology Haiku Moment, as well as the haibun anthology Journey to the Interior, which was probably the first of its kind, in the 1990s. He was a co-editor for many years of the yearly American Haibun and Haiga anthology and Contemporary Haibun online journal. In 1997 and updated in 2023, he published a writing guide to haiku and related forms (How to Haiku, updated to Writing Haiku), which is written with beginners and even children in mind. Because of the focus on a younger audience, this book was misunderstood when it first came out. In 2012 he published, together with Kōko Katō, Dietmar Tauchner and Patricia Prime, A Vast Sky, which is probably the largest international haiku anthology to date. The impetus for it arose from yearly Autumn Moon contests, which he founded in the early 2000s and were open to international submissions. A Vast Sky received a few awards and great reviews, but unfortunately it has not sold much, as Bruce had to self-publish it and sell it on Amazon, with very low visibility. After the great reception that A Vast Sky had, Bruce decided, nine years ago, to start this journal that you are reading today. He has always held his work at a high standard, and also this journal has been kept to his high standard for nature-related haiku. Our selection criteria are therefore quite rigorous. This journal is also meant to be a teaching tool for younger writers. Here is a spring haiku from one of Bruce’s poetry collections, spring clouds: steam rising from my favorite tea early spring clouds I will leave the reader to enjoy the haiku moment and nature connection in this meditative haiku. We have many of Bruce’s books at home, including the ones aforementioned, and I have listed them in the “Announcements; Books by Bruce Ross” section above. Please contact me at [email protected] for more information and if you want to purchase any. It would be very sad to throw these books away when Bruce passes on… His has been a labor of love, and I am trying to continue it for as long as I am able. Astrid Andreescu Maine, USA, May 2025 subdued – a moth settles on her old kimono Sheikha A., UAE old pond – a dragonfly catches the last light petal by petal the apple orchard snowing Jenny Ward Angyal, USA waiting for rain . . . the mockingbird’s song awash with sunset night owl – losing her voice to the prairie wind Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA April heat – overflowing the bird bath a flock of sparrows اپریل کی گرمی پرندہ نہان سے چھلکتے ہوئے چڑیوں کا ایک غول spring in the family haveli each blossom unfolds a different memory *haveli: traditional townhouse in the Indian subcontinent خاندانی حویلی میں بہار ہر پھول کھولتا ہے ایک مختلف یادداشت Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan summer garlands the wishes we plant in whistle grass Joanna Ashwell, UK last stop a train car full of sleeping soldiers תחנה אחרונה קרון מלא חיילים ישנים another leap a toddler stumbles following a sparrow דרור מנתר פעוט מועד בעקבותיו Adi Assis, Israel birdsong flickers of blossom in the wild plum sunset cools in cobalt shadows a currawong’s call Gavin Austin, Australia empty house . . . cherry trees in bloom for no one prazna kuća . . . trešne u cvatu ni za koga Katica Badovinac, Croatia tipping marsh reeds the whistlescents of red-winged blackbirds Jo Balistreri, USA afternoon rain i fold my son’s laughter into paper boats Mona Bedi, India spring gusts – fresh horseshoe tracks in the mud summer birthday a child’s handmade mobile of mussel shells Brad Bennett, USA chrysanthemum stone all the years it can take to flourish pierre de chrysanthème les années que ça peut prendre pour s’épanouir Maxianne Berger, Canada day lengthening below the window outside someone is singing Jerome Berglund, USA semper fidelis the paired blossoms of partridgeberry Sally Biggar, USA seeds planted the day blossoms into a starling Shawn Blair, USA a slug hides in a rose tulip –cool spring day Nancy Brady, USA aviary . . . a parrot says I love you to the new bird Ed Bremson, USA wind tossed daffodils her grown-up smile under an umbrella Randy Brooks, USA the barter system water in the birdbath finch song Alanna C. Burke, USA spring . . . and the trees are already missing water Frühling . . . und den Bäumen mangelt es schon an Wasser Pitt Büerken, Germany sharing love poems in the shelter – new dawn condividere poesie d'amore nel rifugio - nuova alba Mariangela Canzi, Italy spring wind – the tree sings another way vânt de primăvară – copacul cântă altfel lavender field – remembering my mother’s perfume câmpul de lavandă – amintindu-mi parfumul mamei mele Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania hullabaloo all the bulbuls at dawn Matthew Caretti, American Samoa cherry petals how quickly the truce fell apart hail damage the roofers without an accent Archie G. Carlos, USA bulldozers the pungency of wild sage Bob Carlton, USA surprised by softness pulling lupins through my fingers Louise Carson, Canada even in my dreams the scent of roses tucked behind her ear Ram Chandran, India green meadow spring rain on a spring frog spring time mom’s magic – cherry blossoms 春 母の魔法 桜 haru haha no mahō – sakura Manasa Reddy Chichili, India mountain path – the sky brighter in the peony meadow potecă de munte – în poiana cu bujori mai luminos cerul Mihaela Cojocaru, Romania swishing tails of cattle at the trough . . . summer breeze Ria Collins, Ireland the thunderstorm to come rumour of robins barn owl’s flight the field mouse light as a feather Sue Colpitts, Canada family gathering the scent of the first rose riunione di famiglia il profumo della prima rosa Maria Concetta Conti, Italy green flash the osprey lifting off ahead of a swell Bill Cooper, USA fertility clinic the first cherry blossom unfurls hospice window she says she wants to be that butterfly Sue Courtney, New Zealand blue hydrangea some cuttings before mom’s house is sold Tina Crenshaw, USA April rain how lonely it is under my umbrella ulan sa Abril ang lungkot sa ilalim ng aking payong fireflies for once i forget there are stars alitaptap minsan nakalimutan kong may mga bituin Alvin Cruz, The Philippines moving through the sky geese moving the sky Maya Daneva, Canada opening night the glow of moonflowers Pat Davis, USA writer’s notebook from 3 lines to 3 lines a decade of seasons carnet d’écrivain de 3 lignes en 3 lignes une décennie de saisons Marie Derley, Belgium her first sleep over – all alone in the poplars a pint sized owl Edward Dewar, Canada less wind by the morning the fallen dogwood Carmela Dolce, USA sugar moon ghosts of magnolia blossom smudging the night Rebecca Drouilhet, USA family campfire mosquitoes join the conversation Jane Druzhinina, USA sky full of kites the wind brings home a song Baisali Chatterjee Dutt, India survival – the last lily rising again supravieţuire – ridicându-se din nou ultimul crin Carmen Duvalma, Romania bar-b-que shack wild morning glories spiral the grill early spring redbud bumps waiting to bloom Lynn Edge, USA popping up through the morning sun great crested grebe Keith Evetts, UK spring sunrise birds gather on the tin roof Susan Farner, USA moonlit perfume dusk’s soft light gone too soon wangi rembulan lembayung senja meredup sirna sekejap Nurul Olivia Fathonah, Indonesia cicada wind the song comes and goes Bill Fay, USA inviting friends to tea pollinator garden Barbara Feehrer, USA a sandy bottom the heron wades without stirring Jeff Ferrara, USA the cruelest month falling quietly snow on snowmelt Thomas Festa, USA fragrant rain falling one by one acacia petals pachnący deszcz spadają jeden po drugim płatki akacji Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland undoing the urgency spring sun on the willow a witches hat shell on the sand winter turns into spring Jenny Fraser, New Zealand New England barn a weathervane rusted South Jay Friedenberg, USA spring breeze a barefoot woman begins to dance gibbous moon the sliding note of a guqin Seth Friedman, Canada under the wind the steady plunk! of maple into the bucket Dennis Owen Frohlich, USA bitter cold – not enough hot water to scald off my guilt Joshua Gage, USA here at last the saltiness of our sea ecco finalmente la salsedine del nostro mare Barbara Gaiardoni, Italy spring cleaning behind the curtain chrysalis Mike Gallagher, Ireland the gale – days of Lent in the village el ventarrón – los días de cuaresma en el villorio the old man returns to the battle site – the same breeze ya anciano acude al lugar de la batalla – la misma brisa Rafael García Bidò, Dominican Republic vanishing star – no answers to prayer nestajanje zvijezde – nema odgorova na molitvu Goran Gatalica, Croatia cotton sowing fragile hopes for bridal gowns . . . again, gunpowder сеитба на памук крехки надежди за булчински рокли или отново барут Ivan Georgiev, Bulgaria/Germany sepal to sepal make the spring breeze more drunk cherries in bloom کاسبرگ پشت کاسپرک مست تر می کنند نسیم بهاری را گیلاس های شکوفه پوش Roohallah Ghasemi, Iran at the slightest touch the fall of raspberries Mark Gilbert, UK Lunar craters Her childhood full of Memory gaps Kratery na Księżycu Jej dzieciństwo pełne Pamięciowych luk Anna Goluba, Poland lavender stems her old memories in a drawer steli di lavanda i suoi vecchi ricordi in un vasetto di lavanda Eufemia Griffo, Italy spring moon clouds the barred owl twirls its head spring rain rolls down their coats neighbor and dog Andrew Grossman, USA every moment a hymn of life – blue iris in bloom في كل لحظة - ترنيمة حياة إزهار زهرة السوسن الزرقاء Fatma Zohra Habis, Algeria The cuckoo calls there is no way in the wilderness Niels Hammer, Sweden dew-drenched waves of frogs spread from my footsteps Lev Hart, Canada mountain lake the glacial stillness in a heron’s eye John Hawkhead, UK problems with sunlight the inevitable fading into darkness Patricia Hawkhead, UK moonrise . . . magnolia buds hold dew 月亮升起了… 玉兰蓓蕾 含着露水 fox’s cry . . . moonlight fills the valley 狐狸的叫声… 月光 满山谷 David He, China whispered words a splash of forsythia through the mist fading light watching a moonflower twirl open then shut Deborah Burke Henderson, USA collecting field songs mockingbird Jeff Hoagland, USA rising from earth to flitter and wither this cicada life Ruth Holzer, USA morning dew a fledgling at the front door Frank Hooven, USA rain cascades from the canopy a nurse log’s many saplings midday spring stream all the synonyms of shimmer Lee Hudspeth, USA zazen . . . the silence among moon shadows summer storm the flood forges a new path Matilyn Humbert, Australia serenity the buds grow quietly in the moonlight seninătate mugurii cresc pe tăcute la lumina lunii Mona Iordan, Romania beach day . . . counting the ripples her steps make Samantha Pardo Irigoyen, USA a long pause cherry blossom falls into the silence Erica Ison, UK Central Park no one talks not even to their dog Central Park niko ne razgovara ni sa svojim psom spring whim – sparrows outshout the old gossipers prolećni kapric vrapci nadvikuju stare tračare Dejan Ivanovic, Serbia the newborn twins a million eyes in the starlit sky Lakshmi Iyer, India first butterfly my friend visiting from abroad 初蝶や異国より友きたりけり hatsuchō ya ikoku yori tomo kitari keri Keiko Izawa, Japan giving a voice to quietude – mourning doves gathering a bouquet of wildflowers the bees follow me home Rick Jackofsky, USA Easter weekend a boy scoops up tadpoles to set them free AJ Johnson, USA spring rain the clouds passing over the moon a ladybird on a twig reflecting sunshine spring morning Govind Joshi, India summer solstice . . . in sync with temple bell bellows at sunup ग्रीष्म अयनांत . . . मंदिर की घंटी की ताल में सूर्योदय के समय रंभाहट Monica Kakkar, India Wild roses over the decayed fence in full bloom 破れ垣を覆ひ尽くして花茨 Scarlet peonies – asleep on straw mulch a black cat 緋牡丹や眠る黒猫敷き藁に Satoru Kanematsu, Japan the first bees in the cherry orchard dancing granddaughter pierwsze pszczoły w wiśniowym sadzie tańcząca wnuczka Wiesław Karliński, Poland in fallen blossoms sometimes . . . my lost baby Arvinder Kaur, India sweet scents this spring morning . . . blossom sky Keitha Keyes, Australia statue of liberty coming into view Noel King, Ireland rising above the sandy hole eyes of a crab Ravi Kiran, India two weeks in the wren’s eggs still eggs Kim Klugh, USA silent moth wings . . . the lighted window divides two worlds tiha krila ljiljka . . . osvijetljen prozor dijeli dva svijeta willow catkins – feeling granny’s palm on my hair vrbine mace – osjećam bakin dlan na svojoj kosi Nina Kovačić, Croatia distant barking piercing a tiny hole in the morning fog Jeff Kressmann, USA gone too soon his mother’s bluebonnets Kimberly Kuchar, USA in all these days of rain and grayness – the nod of daffodils Jill Lange, USA our relationship the picnic table’s length ladybug and i Laughing Monkey, USA shrinking pond searching for the moon Barrie Levine, USA white lilacs draping the dusk the loon’s vibrato Kathryn Liebowitz, USA cherry blossoms so close to the sky in my homeland цветови трешње тако су близу неба у завичају Mile Lisica, Serbia which one to praise? a field of endless bluebells Robert Lowes, USA a silent pond with hundreds of eyes – lotuses in bloom occhi a centinaia nello stagno silenzioso fiorisce il loto Oscar Luparia, Italy preserved in a dry tide pool constellation of sea stars Anthony Lusardi, USA close by two clay cups spring breeze Devoshruti Mandal, India summer night the lights of the past in our present letnia noc gwiazdy mrugają do nas swym dawnym blaskiem Urszula Marciniak, Poland cherry blossom petals . . . in her last message a heart still beats petali di ciliegio . . . nel suo ultimo messagio ancora batte un cuore Carmela Marino, Italy pine siskins explode sky washed with wings Beverly Matherne, USA nightfall fog the puffed up sound of one cricket Richard L. Matta, USA courting parrots crisscross the maze forest canopy Jo McInerney, Australia garden stillness where night begins moonflower MJ Mello, USA After making love quiet wash of new rain Jonathan Memmert, USA There were orchards, olive and orange trees here No one remembers Aquí hubo huertos, olivos y naranjos Nadie recuerda Lía Miersch, Argentina my plot next to father’s grave moss on the rock summer solstice morning sickness all day long Rowan Beckett Minor, USA toddler cherry petals in her wake Sarah Mirabile-Blacker, Switzerland white butterflies mark the silence old diary farfalle bianche scandiscono il silenzio vecchio diario all I need is the wind in a meadow of anemones – everything flows mi basta il vento in un prato di anemoni – tutto fluisce Daniela Misso, Italy sunshower the vocalisations of a baby crow ploaie de soare vocalizele unui pui de cioară Mircea Moldovan, Romania from hedge to hedge finches’ repartee I get out of the way da siepe a siepe botta e risposta dei fringuelli mi tolgo di mezzo Luciana Moretto, Italy a fledgling startled from the robin’s nest cell phone camera Wilda Morris, USA short dreams in a long night the birds begin without her first turtles . . . meeting their sparkle with mine Laurie D. Morrissey, USA drifting cherry petals my friend’s funeral tomorrow a warm wind fans the palm grove honking ibis Leanne Mumford, Australia a windless day . . . deep into the forest’s heart old railway tracks o zi fără vânt . . . vechea cale ferată în inima pădurii Florian Munteanu, Romania cuckoo’s call in the still air a bud opens Jiel Narvekar, India white dogwood through light fog – a bluebird preens a ruffled wing Arthur Nord, USA summer road trip out to the desert to revisit the old me Olivia O, Nigeria wildflowers much of my walk spent standing still Nola Obee, Canada twilight creeps across the village graveyard blackbird song mrak se plazi čez vaško pokopališče pesem kosa school’s over the buzz in blooming lindens šole je konec brenčanje v cvetočih lipah Polona Oblak, Slovenia high stepping in the shallows blue heron night rain the ostrich fern unfurls in morning light Helen Ogden, USA summer holidays we part the waves of skylark song Ben Oliver, England, UK rose bush leaves I unfurl into late morning tapping into your sweetness sugar maple Debbie Olson, USA peepers singing in the marsh the smell of rain Nancy Orr, USA the robin sings to us from a flowering blackthorn – seaside stroll Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland just enough left for the ancestors – vanilla crop Scott Packer, Canada two phoebes nesting under my deck rent free Jimmy Pappas, USA holy week the doxology of daffodils John Pappas, USA riyaaz the deep sigh of our dog *Riyaaz: classical Indian music practice Vandana Parashar, India porch rocking chair the yellow blur of goldfinches M.R. Pelletier, USA under starlight two old friends sip tea . . . white violets Marion Poirier, USA in the meadow the farmer doesn’t work cuckoo flowers snapped twig a jay’s head appears amongst the bluebells Thomas Powell, N. Ireland budding birch some leaves still unfallen Vishal Prabhu, India spring mist rises from the roots of the maple trees graduation day Jude Pultz, USA brilliant night – my summer shawl falls softly notte splendente – il mio scialle estivo scivola lieve Maria Cristina Pulvirenti, Italy slanted sunlight another stack of books grows taller chaos theory . . . there’s something about that butterfly Tony Pupello, USA new nest, mornings begin early, at my window. Vaishnavi Pusapati, England before the blossoms bloom last breath Audrey Quinn, Ireland summer sun the tree stump alive with trumpet flowers Carol Raisfeld, USA by the holy river a smoking pyre . . . dawn birdsong Meera Rehm, India a twinge in the knee that used to just go late summer grasses Sam Renda, South Africa mile after mile old stone fences dividing time Edward J. Rielly, USA mother nudges her fawn . . . sun and shadows Susan Lee Roberts, USA I’ll get there when I get there summer clouds Chad Lee Robinson, USA without knowing they are bound to die blooming lilacs utan att veta att te snart ska dö blommande syrener Daniela Rodi, Finland family reunion – the weight of stones and sphagnum moss tangled roots under the WWII memorial unseen graves Jacob D. Salzer, USA family dispute two herons walk across the field కుటుంబ కలహం పొలం మధ్యలో నడుస్తున్న రెండు కొంగలు the star and I in the dark నక్షత్రం నేను చీకట్లో Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India sunset companion hanging out in the other boat a brown pelican kasamahan sa paglubog ng araw nakatambay sa kabilang bangka isang kayumangging pagala Ernesto P. Santiago, The Philippines drum circle the pulsating rhythm of heart beats Bona M. Santos, USA night’s dream on the rim of my coffee mug waiting for daybreak রাতের স্বপ্ন আমার কফি মগের কিনারায় অপেক্ষা করে প্রভাত সূর্যের Jharna Sanyal, India to live so fully summer sun shower Kelly Sargent, USA daisy petals the quantum state of our union Agnes Eva Savich, USA embracing me back – the mud on my path Julie Schwerin, USA the morning chickadee practices scales key of chartreuse Ron Scully, USA day-hatched chicks in a cardboard box his favorite flannel Paula Sears, USA cherry petals the softness of a baby’s palm Manoj Sharma, Nepal household chores mom says “hello” to the money plant Richa Sharma, India old boots by the open gate – spring crocus Nalini Shetty, India Early summer breeze – a big river flows gently along the castle 薫風や大河ゆるりと城に沿ひ In the bamboo grove the first voice of a warbler already well-tuned 竹林にはや整へる初音かな Kyoko Shimizu, Japan quaking aspens spinning leaves into daydreams Michael Shoemaker, USA storm ends a crow picks up last of the daylight आंधी थमी… एक कौआ चुनता है दिन की अंतिम किरण dusk deepens . . . a firefly’s glow brightens the night गहराती संध्या … जुगनू की चमक रात रौशन करे Neena Singh, India cancer meds on the kitchen sill – apple’s gone bad Daniel Skach-Mills, USA rainstorm a wren’s morning song quickly forgotten bedroom skylight what the moon knows of loneliness Thomas Smith, USA fire tree dripping parched petals arbol nagtulo giuhawng mga gihay tea solon, The Philippines golden hour the mountain stream glitters Srini, India altocumulus moon my first words in coyote Joshua St. Claire, USA rest area . . . taking the time to gaze at the stars estate sale bluebonnets blanket the pasture Stephenie Story, USA we emerge from hibernation aspen catkins fox den a white feather pinned to the grass Debbie Strange, Canada cooking his favourite scrambled eggs . . . dog’s birthday Neha Talreja, India calculating the weight of a secret . . . spring rain between the end and the beginning . . . summer stars Angela Terry, USA hiking companion for a few seconds banana slug Richard Tice, USA grandpa is gone – in the plum tree he planted a few blossoms bunicul a plecat – în prunul plantat de el câteva flori grandma’s orchard – the scent of freshly mown hay livada bunicii – aroma de fân proaspăt cosit Maria Tirenescu, Romania looking into the mirror reflections of flowers alive and dying Charles Trammell, USA fading sun . . . Buddha’s hand raised in the distance Xenia Tran, Scotland, UK clouds changing shape empty chrysalis canopy of stars the magnitude of not knowing Kevin Valentine, USA on the path back home an empty snail shell filled with rain Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands not one crow stands out morning assembly Sathya Venkatesh, India exploring new buds . . . my neighbor’s cat follows me to my garden explorând noi lăstari . . . pisoiul vecinei mă-nsoţeşte spre grădina mea Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania patio lunch my friend’s phone rings in chickadee out of the blue the stilty flamingo lifts a leg Marilyn Appl Walker, USA fat clouds a sparrow swells with song Amy Watson, USA soughing wind a crane becomes part of the twilight sky Joseph P. Wechselberger, USA between the leaves of a Farmers’ Almanac . . . summer flowers Christine Wenk-Harrison, USA a star falls upwards in the midnight sky night flight retreating tide – slivers of moonlight left on the beach Richard West, USA breezes ripple through the soybeans . . . school shooting Elaine Wilburt, USA bees in the lavender . . . my tinnitus has wings helter-skelter up the mossy trunk . . . treecreeper Tony Williams, Scotland, UK sunrise – a flock of redwings takes flight fallen petals – our first spring without you Juliet Wilson, Scotland, UK cloud gazing a scissor-tailed flycatcher cuts the head off a dragon drying my swimsuit on the beachhouse railing double-crested cormorant Amber Winter, USA slowly warming the ice beneath a penguin’s egg sunrise the river sparkles in a fawn’s eyes Robert Witmer, Japan creek crossing our feet find the path the rocks keep grocery cart the warmth of the last shopper’s hands Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA community garden one raspberry falling through the fence Alan Yan, USA dawn stars gramma wakes us with a whisper Susan Yavaniski, USA newborn’s breath against my cheek spring breeze Nitu Yumnan, UAE a trace of lava from the dormant volcano – my new haiku ślad lawy z uśpionego wulkanu moje nowe haiku Eugeniusz Zacharski, Poland In his essay “The Essence of Haiku,” published in Modern Haiku in 2007, Bruce Ross, the founding editor of this journal, said: “The ‘haiku moment’ might be defined as the conjunction of the particular and the absolute in a moment of time. Haiku is then basically an epiphany… In a haiku moment the mind does not intervene in the essence of things or the synchronicity of things… The greatness in haiku is the revelation of reality just as it is in all its wonder and freedom.” This concept of the haiku moment, of an observation of things as they are, is well exemplified by one of his own haiku, recently published in Ko 39:4: a cat sitting by the old burnt house winter sun The straightforward simplicity of this observation enables the reader to step into a moment that is at once particular, and yet also, through the shared feelings the images evoke, absolute. With this issue, in this time of global anxiety and conflict, we celebrate this kind of haiku moment: moments of falling leaves, moonlight, snow, bittersweet, migrating birds... Our hope is that in the process of sharing individual poems whose touchstone is reality—and that thus intersect with the absolute—we help create a community within which we can each find some empathy and understanding. Kristen Lindquist, November 2024 taking what comes the great-horned owl swivels her head Cynthia Anderson, USA windowsill Buddha same expression whatever weather Aaron Anstett, USA silent retreat just enough wind quaking aspen Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA an absence of home the river winding back into itself Joanna Ashwell, UK soft rain the magpie’s song fills with dawn Gavin Austin, Australia new year . . . the old woman waltzes on an ocean bluff Dyana Basist, USA woodsmoke today’s shadows on yesterday’s snow Brad Bennett, USA in thinning fog bare branches full of red birds but when he laughed – east wind melts the frost in the pampas grass Deborah A. Bennett, USA sheets flapping on the rooftop clothesline Gran sings her loudest draps claquant sur la corde à linge du toit Mémé chante de son plus fort Maxianne Berger, Canada winter sunset an old boat estranged on the shore Shiva Bhusal, USA/Nepal mid-day . . . frayed cobwebs still capturing the fog carried away on the ebb tide a swirl of ash Sally Biggar, USA an old cat sharing milk warm autumn sun Shawn Blair, USA late autumn . . . clouds ribboning between tree branches Nancy Brady, USA being bothered the cricket changes its place without a sound infastidito il grillo cambia posto senza dire “a” Maurizio Brancaleoni, Italy nightfall snow the horse waiting for me to giddy-up Randy Brooks, USA the bee’s rapture: last tumbling blooms of purple wisteria B. L. Bruce, USA the mouse busy building up a winter habitat die Maus geschäftig sie baut sich ein Winterquartier Pitt Büerken, Germany a mountain bluebird rides the wind-bent juniper last berries falling leaves reveal blank nests first chill Alanna C. Burke, USA mallards glide on the lake dusk stillness sul lago scivolano le anatre silenzio al crepusculo bombed-out house – above the ruins plum flowering casa bombardata – sulle rovine susino in fiore Mariangela Canzi, Italy sea grass a slow sway in the girl’s song winter woods into the unfullness old smoke moon Matthew Caretti, American Samoa steaming cup – the song of tea-pickers breaks the loneliness tasse fumante – le chant des cueilleuses de thé brise la solitude Laurence Cénédèse, France still, no ceasefire the praying mantis turning brown Archie G. Carlos, USA hanging rain clouds . . . all over the meadow cowbell songs Ram Chandran, India empty bowl so many thoughts singing in my heart Manasa Reddy Chichili, India first snow – no trace of smoke from my mother’s house prima zăpadă – niciun fuior de fum din casa mamei Mihaela Cojocaru, Romania the raven’s wingspan embracing bare branches dusky evening Ria Collins, Ireland leaving a moon behind in bare branches snowy owl amaryllis bulb why doesn’t love always flower Sue Colpitts, Canada the song of a scarlet tanager i go off trail Bill Cooper, USA a shard of moonlight through boarded windows reflecting on years of bad luck evan coram, USA a mother hums a lullaby . . . hibernation Sue Courtney, New Zealand autumn rain the sound of crying alone ulan sa tag-lagas ang tunog ng pag-iyak na mag-isa Alvin B. Cruz, The Philippines frozen moon the power of a single sentence Maya Daneva, Canada frosty evening . . . I fold a thousand paper cranes Bipasha Majumder De, India night rain looking for a rainbow in the moonlight pluie de nuit chercher un arc-en-ciel dans le clair de lune Marie Derley, Belgium Mine field – the wind rustling through dry grass Минско поље. Шуштање ветра кроз суву траву. Indian summer – the wounded stork carefully spreads its wings Михољско лето. Рањена рода пажљиво шири крила. Zoran Doderovic, Serbia winter loneliness each doll gets a middle name Carmela Dolce, USA New Year’s morning amid red cedar boughs yesterday’s snow Janice Doppler, USA brittle leaf scant shelter for a mouse Allison Douglas-Tourner, Canada wee winter hours the moon silvers a distant tree June Rose Dowis, USA twilight murmuration rearranging our bucket list C. Jean Downer, Canada unhoused person’s shopping cart its contents hidden by snow John J. Dunphy, USA winter evening – through the closed window icicles on the moon seară de iarnă – prin fereastra închisă ţurţuri în lună Carmen Duvalma, Romania night thunder rain lilies appear with first light Lynn Edge, USA puzzle weather . . . we rise only to forage for cinnamon sticks Anna Eklund-Cheong, France cold moon a western screech owl wakes us all only until the morning dew moonflowers Eavonka Ettinger, USA late afternoon past the office window outbound geese Keith Evetts, UK road trip autumn fills the ditches Susan Farner, USA autumn pond just one painted turtle seeks the sun Barbara Feehrer, USA autumn sun a plow turning earth Jeff Ferrara, USA a red-shouldered hawk flies by how could this never be enough? spider silk thread – my only connection to fall sunlight Thomas Festa, USA liquidambar in fall leaving the world for now undoing the urgency winter sun on the willow Jenny Fraser, New Zealand new year’s eve a great blue heron blends into night Seth Friedman, Canada a little wiggle in the water sun/fish Ben Gaa, USA a light going on after the memorial – autumn dusk Jerome Gagnon, USA autumn wind – childhood friends where have they gone viento de otoño – los amigos de infancia dònde se han ido Rafael Garcìa Bidò, Dominican Republic shifting the garden’s song autumn leaves Nicholas Gentile, USA our mother without leaving a will autumnal equinox майка ни без да оставя завещание есенно равноденствие Ivan Georgiev, Bulgaria red leaves the farewell song of a robin foglie rosse il canto d’addio di un pettirosso end of autumn the sound of magpies so near fine dell’autunno il suono delle gazze così vicino Eufemia Griffo, Italy my parents’ home the old apple tree cut down mein elternhaus der alte apfelbaum gefällt Alexander Groth, Germany autumn leaves tossing old cards from the rolodex Charles Harmon, USA white breath the blackbird’s song takes shape Lev Hart, Canada ribbon tide cold wind knots through the bones of a whaling station John Hawkhead, UK wing strokes swallows trace the elm’s silhouette Kathryn Haydon, USA cold moon . . . my single neighbour steps out alone 冷月… 我那单身邻居 一个人出去 deep silence the moon glows in a frozen puddle 寂静 在冰封的水窟里 月亮发光 David He, China cold night Milky Way crickets in my bed Janet Ruth Heller, USA September garden tendrils of her story linger Deborah Burke Henderson, USA snowing again the stray cat asleep in the greenhouse chad henry, USA beyond our breath clouds Geminids Jeff Hoagland, USA winter woods the sounds of wind and water drawing me in Ruth Holzer, USA potato harvest the draft horse in the sycamore’s shade Frank Hooven, USA snow blizzard the white eyelashes of a black horse снежна виелица белите мигли на черен кон Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria ochre on our fingertips . . . slot canyon wall Lee Hudspeth, USA autumn colours in the sandstone gorge . . . ochre deposits Marilyn Humbert, Australia rain patter the crickets are waiting their turn ţârâit de ploaie greierii îşi aşteaptă rândul Mona Iordan, Romania off the beaten track woodsmoke drifts through starlight Erica Ison, UK autumn breeze i cuddle fairy tales pointing at the moon and stars Lakshmi Iyer, India mountain temple the untended grave strewn with chestnuts 山寺の 人来ぬ墓に 落栗よ yamadera no hitokonuhaka ni ochiguriyo typhoon . . . father’s lost boat still drifting in my dreams 台風や 父の失せし船 夢を漂う taifūya chichi no useshifune yume o tadayou Keiko Izawa, Japan shaking snow from the pine boughs an owl spreads her wings Rick Jackofsky, USA leaves I never raked the laughter of children rolling through autumn Peter Jastermsky, USA rain on plum tree clinging to bare branches evening twilight Govind Joshi, India Evening twilight the time for reminiscence a bell-cricket’s chirp 黄昏はものおもふとき鉦叩 Satoru Kanematsu, Japan fox fire in the abandoned house a flicker of light Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany a blackbird in the apple tree first snow Emil Karla, France fallen leaves bring their own grief empty porch Arvinder Kaur, India wind gusts – spirals of conversation in autumn leaves Keitha Keyes, Australia the slow curve in the road the long way home crescent moon falling away . . . the soft wing dust on a fading monarch Kim Klugh, USA winter loneliness . . . reading coffee grounds by myself zimska samoća . . . proričem si budućnost iz taloga kave Nina Kovačić, Croatia autumn trail sharing the sunrise with a toadstool Kimberly Kuchar, USA picking perfect pumpkins . . . for the squirrels Jill Lange, USA snow day . . . my daughters dancing in slipper socks Barrie Levine, USA frost-rimed leaves the blue rake leans into its shadow Kathryn Liebowitz, USA first day of school curve after curve of laughter down a spiral slide 開學第一天 一聲接著一聲歡笑 沿著螺旋滑梯滑下 eviction night boxes of my immigrant dreams wrapped in shadows 驅逐之夜 我的移民夢想裝進一堆盒子 籠罩在陰影中 Chen-ou Liu, Canada blooming field . . . on the withered stalks a light snow campo in fiore . . . sugli steli appassiti neve leggera Oscar Luparia, Italy low tide the sea glimmers in a bleached oyster shell Malcolm MacClancy, Ireland only visitor . . . from a crack of the grave the weed Devoshruti Mandal, India his retirement outside the hospice window such colorful trees emerytura kolorwe drzewa za oknem hospicjum Urszula Marciniak, Poland hawthorn hedge a catbird slips out of sight Sharon Martina, USA high wind . . . the deep low note of a bronzewing Jo McInerney, Australia if only for one night . . . moonflower MJ Mello, USA Going back home Someone reading poems at the bus stop Volviendo a casa Alguien lee poemas en la parada Lìa Miersch, Argentina barren maple the deer’s carcass returned to earth Rowan Beckett Minor, USA cormorants flying south just ahead of their shadows teetering between tonight and tomorrow last leaves Katie Montagna, Ireland raking leaves – an empty cicada shell ratissant les feuilles – une coquille de cigale vide Mike Montreuil, Canada falling leaves the fairy garden disappears Joanne Morcom, Canada snow-blue twilight . . . looking for myself in a darkened mirror crepuscolo azzuro neve . . . cerco me stessa in uno specchio oscurato Luciana Moretto, Italy mid-winter . . . how the bittersweet hangs on Laurie D. Morrissey, USA bamboo spout – the stone basin sunk with coloured leaves Leanne Mumford, Australia our relationship blooms after rainfall desert lily Surya Nes, Indonesia between moonset and sunrise larches by the lake mes luninim zahodom in sončnim vzhodom macesni ob jezeru the moment the doe’s gaze meets mine komorebi trenutek ko košutin pogled sreča mojega komorebi Polona Oblak, Slovenia glassy sea the cormorant’s skid slows to a stop Helen Ogden, USA scrumping apples from the scrappy farm hedge mistlethrush eve Ben Oliver, UK snowflakes our words settle on a path Debbie Olson, USA the cry of a loon autumn chill Nancy Orr, USA city fountain shut down for the season coin-tossed wishes Roland Packer, Canada grass still greener on the other side –autumn path Scott Packer, Canada night snow the right to remain silent John Pappas, USA morning moon frost on the breast of a starling M. R. Pelletier, USA homeless child – stolen by the wind the kite’s tail batang palaboy – hangin ninakaw buntot ng saranggola Feddie Peralta, The Philippines rain the salty taste of tears Gregory Piko, Australia rotting deeper into a darkening sky the rowan’s berries Thomas Powell, UK frost on the roof track trodden by a crow to the sky oszroniony dach ślad wrony wydeptany do nieba Krzysztof Przegiętka, Poland windswept leaves leaving my harsh voice behind Tony Pupello, USA a solo goose loose from his skein as evening sinks Audrey Quinn, Ireland dark clouds all my complaints in a crow’s mouth Indian summer coyotes howl the sun down Dian Duchin Reed, USA soaked through in the monsoon rain slow warmth of noodle soup winter chill a pine twig shivers under a sparrow Sam Renda, South Africa early frost under a blanket the last of the marigolds Edward J. Rielly, USA climate change a white Christmas only in my snow globe klimaatverandering een witte kerst alleen in mijn sneeuwbol Marjolein Rotsteeg, The Netherlands first autumn rain the forest floor ripples with the crawl of newts Aron Rothstein, USA first dress after the divorce – the twirl of a single apple peel Kelly Sargent, USA alone with the forest again pock-marked rocks Agnes Eva Savich, USA between the rain clouds and the headstones an amen Greg Schwartz, USA making the most of our time together . . . December snowflakes Julie Schwerin, USA snow day . . . the stray cat’s heartbeat through her mittens Paula Sears, USA in deep meditation the bamboo sprouts a yellow leaf winter mist my self-doubt on a raven’s cry Manoj Sharma, Nepal Crickets chirping – grasses grow all over a deserted kiln 虫鳴くや草に覆はる廃れ窯 The first wild duck – on the tidal river not a ripple 初鴨や潮入川に波もなく Kyoko Shimizu, Japan snow rainbow on a diamond anniversary still a dreamer снежна дъга на диамантена годишнина все още мечтател Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria burning autumn leaves loneliness Michael Shoemaker, USA cloudless night one of the stars falls upwards bezchmurna noc jedna z gwiazd spada w górę Daniel Sidorowicz, Poland sepia photo father’s finger points to the book I now hold सीपिया फोटो पिता की ऊँगली का इशारा मेरी पकड़ी किताब पर autumn dusk the park bench warm where you sat शरद ऋतु धुंधलका पार्क बेंच की गर्माइश जहाँ तुम बैठे थे Neena Singh, India first Gulf Coast chill – a lone white egret glides to the ground Lisa Sparaco, USA a film of dust on an old trophy autumn dusk afternoon haze beyond the hills hints of hills Srini, India maple leaf skeleton the tributaries of the Susquehanna frozen solid cirrus spissatus the slow fade of an aster meadow Joshua St. Claire, USA foggy pond – a family of swans slip through the silence Stephenie Story, USA flatland rain a herd of antelope blurs the horizon Debbie Strange, Canada harvest moon – a puddle of moonlight on the drought stricken field Angela Terry, USA rock-hugging moss a sudden softness in mother’s voice Corine Timmer, Portugal mountain village – snowy stack of wood at the old fence cătun de munte – stivă ninsă de lemne la gardul vechi Maria Tirenescu, Romania feminicide – under a dark moon another cry femminicidio – sotto una luna nera un altro grido Maria Tosti, Italy moonlight on the train’s roof a thousand acorns scattering ashes how your stars follow the stream Xenia Tran, Scotland, UK nowhere else to be but a mountain lake C. X. Turner, UK October sun – monarchs leaf the sacred firs Kevin Valentine, USA early winter chill on the mantlepiece a shaken snow globe Tuyet Van Do, Australia wildflower grove the mowed path winds into twilight Evan Vandermeer, USA Harvest Moon – from my garden to my terrace a raccoon Luna Recoltei – din grădină pe terasă un raton Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania windless day a butterfly’s wing on the leaf pile clear dusk a moonlight trail behind the slug Amy Watson, USA January morning slivers of glass snow shatter the sky Diane Webster, USA after New Year fireworks the new year Michael Dylan Welch, USA acorn shower the number it takes to make a tree Christine Wenk-Harrison, USA fog furling over the ditch things unsaid first frost a fox dashes across felled spruce Mary White, Ireland windswept beach the time when life was so easy Ernest Wit, Poland letting go she twirls in delight autumn leaves Robert Witmer, Japan verge of winter he cannot hear the village bell fringe of ice a lone swan drifts down the wide river Susan Yavaniski, USA late winter storm a pair of antlers caught in the thicket Nitu Yumnan, India peeling cabbage leaves the discussion shifts to atom’s interior obieranie kapusty z liści dyskusja przenosi się do wnętrza atomu Eugeniusz Zacharski, Poland autumn moon a web weaved on the window John Zheng, USA first snow enveloping the Jizo *Jizo: patron deity of children and travelers J. Zimmerman, USA Judges: Astrid Andreescu and Kristen Lindquist
Haiku Moment Award 2024 (Best of Volume 7) this longing to hold my baby . . . ghost apples Rowan Beckett, USA Comments: (Astrid): It’s rare that a haiku is so strongly poignant and artistic at the same time. Definitely the winner! (Kristen): This moving haiku demonstrates the perfect marriage of a fresh and evocative nature image with a deep-felt human emotion. Runners-Up (in alphabetical order) the subtle curl of a cormorant’s wing tip – gathering dusk Maxianne Berger, Canada Comments: (Astrid): A beautiful nature haiku observing a minute detail that produced a haiku moment in the author. (Kristen): The detail of the black wingtip juxtaposed with “gathering dusk” gives this a delicate ambiguity. almost breaking a vow of silence first snow Shawn Blair, USA Comments: (Astrid): The silence of snow is a bit of a cliché, but this haiku breaks the cliché beautifully! (Kristen): Is the viewer or the falling snow almost breaking the silence? A resonant moment to linger in. this long journey to healing . . . cactus blossoms mahabang paglalakbay patungo sa paghilom . . . bulaklak ng cactus Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines Comments: (Astrid): The author deftly conveys the suffering of an illness and the joy of healing, finally. (Kristen): Flowers offer such welcome if infrequent beauty in the desert—a lovely image to evoke a return to health after the long “dry spell” of recovery. late winter storm the duck’s neck bends to her wing Lynn Edge, USA Comments: (Astrid): Another classic nature haiku with fine observation by the author. (Kristen): The duck’s bent neck is an image of such vulnerability here we can’t help but empathize. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): wild violets the deer trail deeper into spring Jenny Ward Angyal, USA sunflowers lean towards the sky this urge for peace i girasoli s’innalzano verso il sole questo bisogno di pace Mariangela Canzi, Italy no home to go back to spring stars nessuna casa dove tornare stelle primaverili Concetta Conti, Italy a little boy steps into his father’s shoes first snow ang hakbang ng bata sa sapatos ng ama unang nyebe Alvin Cruz, The Philippines her voice in full-throated song the river at dusk Seth Friedman, Canada the glow of a distant star . . . her last departure il bagliore di una stella lontana . . . la sua ultima partenza Eufemia Griffo, Italy winter seaside an empty shell welcomes my solitude mare d’inverno una conchiglia vuota accoglie la mia solitudine Oscar Luparia, Italy kingfisher just enough stream for a song Matthew Markworth, USA starless night reading bedtime stories to dad again তারাহীন রাত ঘুমপাড়ানি গল্প শোনাই বাবাকে আবার Jharna Sanyal, India cherry blossom the hidden shape of a birdsong kersenbloesem de verborgen vorm van een vogelliedje Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands morning star my prayer for peace inaudible Susan Yavaniski, USA Welcome to the Spring/Summer issue of Volume 7 of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, now in its 7th year. Many haiku in this issue bring happy feelings, which we all need. A sad announcement: Bruce Ross has stepped down as editor due to illness. This journal has been a labor of love for him, with only the satisfaction of publishing wonderful nature haiku as his reward. I have helped Bruce with editing his and others’ work for the past 30 years or so, and will try to carry forward his vision of supporting poets who are still writing in the spirit of Bashō, Issa or Shiki, for example. I also have enlisted a haiku friend as advisor, Kristen Lindquist, whose poems have appeared in our journal and in many other publications. I would like in each issue to highlight a poem by Bruce that has been well-liked by other poets or even award-winning. For this issue, I will feature a spring haiku by Bruce Ross: abandoned house – the lilacs just as bright this spring Also, please check the updated guidelines for submission under that heading. We will keep the yearly “Haiku Moment Award” for best of Volume 7, which will be announced in the summer. Astrid Andreescu Maine, USA thought-by-thought following the footprints twilight moon spring afternoon a sparrow hops upon its own shadow Ishan Anagh, India nesting hollow high in the palm the barn owl’s face Cynthia Anderson, USA wild violets the deer trail deeper into spring Jenny Ward Angyal, USA March winds a crocus hides in winter-dried grass Emma Alexander Arthur, Norway sugar maple dancing in a nor’easter I join you John Arthur, USA mending fences the wild violets’ scent of forgiveness Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA daydreaming a way into sky cotton burrs spring equinox a widening sky of moon Joanna Ashwell, UK flocking galahs the pink and grey of twilight clouds Gavin Austin, Australia the fallen oak offers a resting place trillium breeze Jo Balistreri, USA outgrowing our first apartment weeds after winter Rowan Beckett, USA aging ivy still climbing bucket list Millicent Bee, USA the subtle curl of a cormorant’s wing tip – gathering dusk la courbe subtile des rémiges d’un cormoran – le soir se pose Maxianne Berger, Canada night stroll a lamp post outshining the full moon Shiva Bhusal, USA/Nepal on the clock listening to the snow melt Shawn Blair, USA barn swallows dip and dive for damselflies – summer evening Nancy Brady, USA homestead gate blackberry brambles hold on to the fence Randy Brooks, USA mating season thousands of melodies from birds’ throats Paarungszeit tausende Melodien aus Vogelkehlen Pitt Büerken, Germany the finch recites her entire language close to the nest Alanna C. Burke, USA night of rain the darkness pooling in our eyes Sam Calhoun, USA sunflowers lean towards the sky this urge for peace i girasoli s’innalzano verso il sole questo bisogno di pace gorse buds on her grave – new start boccioli di ginestra sulla sua tomba – nuovo inizio Mariangela Canzi, Italy waiting for rain a teacup under the stars lyrids John Paul Caponigro, USA morning on the river – nibbling the sunrise a few storks dimineaţa pe fluviu – ciugulind răsăritul câteva berze barbed wire border – a dragonfly leaves it behind graniţă din sârmă ghimpată – o libelulă o lasă în urmă Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania tidal pool just a bit of moon rubbed away Matthew Caretti, USA/American Samoa cherry petal breeze more refugees adrift Archie G. Carlos, USA blackberry trellis in the hands of my daughter pea vines fixing soil Seán Carlson, Ireland black birds shoot sideways against a white sky the coming rain Louise Carson, Canada long after sunrise, the persisting fragrance of night jasmine Ram Chandran, India solar eclipse in my cat’s eyes two moons thinning 天狗吞日 在我家猫的眼里 两个月亮渐渐瘦去 caught a spring fish full of eggs the mother lets it go 捉到一条春鱼 充满了鱼籽 母亲放了它 Chen Jie, China/Canada a leaky faucet in the shower sorrow of spring シャワーの蛇口の水漏れ春愁ひ tr. Anikó Papp flying off with old grass a nesting bird 古草と飛び立ちにけり巣立鳥 tr. Nagata Mitunori Christina Chin, Malaysia a tadpole hatches the old pond ripples anew Carissa Coane, USA flowers by the path – the dandelions reminding me of mother’s tea flori lângă potecă păpădiile amintindu-mi de ceaiul mamei Mihaela Cojocaru, Romania calf’s first steps dotting the pasture yellow cowslips Sue Colpitts, Canada April breeze the robin’s grasp on a bobbing branch Mary Ann Conley, USA no home to go back to spring stars nessuna casa dove tornare stelle primaverili dreaming alone all that’s left of cherry blossoms sognando da sola tutto ciò che rimane dei fiori di ciliegio Concetta Conti, Italy before sunrise the orange breast of the robin Corey Cook, USA the echo of a barred owl bamboo Bill Cooper, USA moonbow over the sand dunes . . . a child’s gaze Sara Cosgrove, USA lingering drought dust hangs over our conversation stopping to smell the apple blossom white butterfly Sue Courtney, New Zealand one half world . . . the cat stares into the mirror David Cox, China summer fullness . . . in search of the perfect blackberry Tina Crenshaw, USA strawberry moon my childhood pictures missing presang buwan mga nawawalang larawan ng aking pagkabata this long journey to healing . . . cactus blossoms mahabang paglalakbay patungo sa paghilom . . . bulaklak ng cactus Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines morning sparrow answering with a whistle I scare it away moineau du matin lui répondant en sifflant je le fais fuir Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium cleansing breaths the inhale and exhale of ocean air Carmela Dolce, USA all-day fog the great blue heron folds its neck Janice Doppler, USA leaving too soon we bury the sparrow under the oak C. Jean Downer, Canada children giggle full of cherry blossom the scarecrow’s hat детски кикот пълна с вишнев цвят шапката на плашилото Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria vernal equinox the dog cocks his head toward the first peepers M F Drummy, USA sunset spring garden stripped of its colors Jane Druzhinina, USA ruined house – from the cracked wall the first bud casă-n ruină din peretele crăpat primul mugure Carmen Duvalma, Romania not yet, daffodils! tricked by apricity we’re both unprepared Anna Eklund-Cheong, France spring dawn the chance to make different mistakes Keith Evetts, UK sultry day all the cattle under one tree Bill Fay, USA it helps to hold the dune a little shell Jeffrey Ferrara, USA affective disorder the scent of tarragon in cut grass Thomas Festa, USA La Niña rains – a beetle rides a gum leaf downriver tip-toeing toward a water lily a water spider Lorin Ford, Australia breath in and breath out lilac blossoms wdech i wydech kwitną lilaki Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland inhaling the force of a wave scent of the wild watching ripples come and go I become a pool Jenny Fraser, New Zealand a sky streaked with pink . . . fading footprints at the end of the dock Seth Friedman, Canada Sacramento valley emerald green hue of summer rice fields Diane Funston, USA patio morning somewhere a towhee urges drink your tea Bob Gaebler, USA golden childhood the licorice fragrance of helichrysum infanzia dorata l’elicriso profumato di liquirizia Barbara Anna Gaiardoni, Italy evening light – birds and insects sing at the same time luz del ocaso – pàjaros e insectos cantan a la vez Santo Domingo – the yellow oaks this brilliance Santo Domingo – los robles amarillos en su fulgor Rafael Garcìa Bidò, Dominican Republic deep in the wadi a Bedouin shepherd lambing John S Green, Jordan the glow of a distant star . . . her last departure il bagliore di una stella lontana . . . la sua ultima partenza Eufemia Griffo, Italy staircase in the woods the kid crawls towards the sky Waldtreppe der Kleine krabbelt dem Himmel entgegen Alexander Groth, Germany even in bloody trenches stars still shining Charles Harmon, USA a southern song at our full feeder – yellow-winged blackbird Richard D. Hartwell, USA pet cemetery a broken dreamcatcher spills the wind John Hawkhead, UK quiet lake . . . I fix my eyes on the moon 湖水静悄悄… 我的双眼 盯着月亮 a dog barks against the wind cold moonlight 狗狗 逆风叫 月光寒 David He, China shades of pink on every gnarled branch blossoming light Deborah Burke Henderson, USA riverside trail flooded with bluebells crescent day moon an osprey hangs in the air Ruth Holzer, USA sea wind a flock the shape of the dunes Frank Hooven, USA three wallabies sip moonshine from a puddle summer shower Marilyn Humbert, Australia a peony bent under the weight of a leaden sky Erica Ison, UK wading in moonlight her child counts the stars summer breeze spring drizzles i gently thank my aged mother Lakshmi Iyer, India spring rain – under the ramen shop eaves two stray cats 春雨や麺屋軒下の猫二匹 harusameya menya nokishitano nekonihiki Keiko Izawa, Japan summer rain clinging to the screen door a tiny tree frog Rick Jackofsky, USA spring morning waking up to a birdsong on the plum tree Govind Joshi, India filigree of fronds . . . rāga Basant rhapsody sending off the spring तालपत्रों की तारकशी . . . राग बसंत रैप्सोडी से वसंत को विदाई *Basant or Vasant means spring in the Sanskrit language. Rāga Basant is a very old rāga dating back to the 8th century. It denotes the changing of seasons, and is the only rāga to use all 12 notes of the scale. Monica Kakkar, India/USA Evening Venus – having sunk in the grass all butterflies 太白やてふてふ草にみな沈み taihaku ya chou chou kusa ni mina shizumi Letting it go – a swallowtail’s emerged in the insect cage 放ちやる籠で羽化せし揚羽蝶 hanachi yaru kago de uka seshi agehachou Satoru Kanematsu, Japan soaked by a summer shower for no reason Emil Karla, France adding a new name to the calendar pregnancy test Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany along the pond with each step frog jump wzdłuż stawu z każdym krokiem żabi skok Wiesław Karliński, Poland despite this world of deceit plum blossoms Arvinder Kaur, India watermelon harvest the weight of a thought sinks into the soil Nicholas Klacsanzky, USA lifting fog the loon’s laugh also rises Kim Klugh, USA the longest day granny retelling again last night’s dream najduži dan baka mi prepričava njen noćašnji san desert rose – she learns the ancestors’ dead language pustinjska ruža – ona uči izumirli jezik predaka Nina Kovačić, Croatia today . . . a fawn in the yard tasting trumpet vines Jill Lange, USA lily mound . . . this urge to dig and replant spring showers the koi pond spattered in silver Barrie Levine, USA bridge of stars a bobcat saunters past the trail cam Sunday drive smoke from the sugar shack mingles with mist Kristen Lindquist, USA forest bathing this silence in the sound of redwoods 森林浴 紅木之聲 的寂靜 snowdrop trail I hold my sick wife’s hand tight and tighter 雪花蓮小徑 我握著生病妻子的手 越來越緊 Chen-ou Liu, Canada balcony porch the spider from the attic comes down to say hello veranda il ragno del piano di sopra scende a salutarmi Oscar Luparia, Italy spring rain – son and grandson airing the summer house Malcolm MacClancy, Ireland Turtles sunning On flat limerock Blackfly season A. D. MacDonald, Canada starry night a desire has aged with me cielo stellato con me è invecchiato un desiderio spring snow grandma hugs me in a dream neve primaverile mi abraccia in sogno la nonna Carmela Marino, Italy kingfisher just enough stream for a song Matthew Markworth, USA river rainbow a roseate spoonbill sketches a chord Richard L. Matta, USA May rain on a deserted beach winter lingers pluie de mai sur la plage déserte l’hiver s’attarde Françoise Maurice, France wildfire summer a periodical cicada’s glowing eyes Marietta McGregor, Australia misting rain . . . the promontory drifts out of sight deep afternoon a yellow robin’s cry in the shadows Jo McInerney, Australia House for sale In the ownerless garden, weeds . . . jonquils La casa en venta En el jardín sin dueño, yuyos . . . junquillos Lía Miersch, Argentina Sunset . . . I begin to settle into myself Joanna C. Migdal, USA summer afternoon the clay crumbles between my fingers pomeriggio estivo l’argilla si sbriciola tra le mie dita day moon a white butterfly on the shore luna diurna una farfalla bianca sulla battigia Daniela Misso, Italy onset of spring weeding a row of peas soft shrieks inizio di primavera sarchiando un filare di piselli grida sommesse red sand on my windowsill . . . rest after a long journey sabbia rossa sul davanzale . . .riposo dopo un lungo viaggio Luciana Moretto, Italy zigzag flight of the spangled fritillary . . . all my uncertainties I still wish for invisible wings blue damselfly Wilda Morris, USA a swamphen running across lily pads spring breeze the cloudy sky streaked with pink – first cicadas Leanne Mumford, Australia high desert silence broken by whispered wingbeats raven heading home Tim Murphy, USA walking from stream to river two songs spring morning below the birdfeeder sunflowers David Oates, USA dawn behind venetial blinds birdsong zora za žaluzijami ptičja pesem cul-de-sac garbage cans covered in cherry petals slepa ulica smetnjaki prekriti s češnjevim cvetjem Polona Oblak, Slovenia summer’s eve . . . silk from a ballooning spider catches the light the slow meander of a pollen-dusted queen river willow Ben Oliver, England, UK forsythia bursting into spring goldfinches Debbie Olson, USA Holy Monday drive: the Wicklow Mountains festooned with flowering gorse Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland driftwood . . . a beachcomber combing dusk Roland Packer, Canada late blossoms – we gave each other our youth Scott Packer, Canada spring morning the flock of herons with a piece of sky Pravat Kumar Padhy, India Breaking camp before dawn – startled mourning doves M.R. Pelletier, USA fluid light a moon that answers to every name petro c.k., USA worker bees we plant some more blue flowers Gregory Piko, Australia age-old hedgerows and now and then the yellowhammer’s song feeding the first with lungwort pollen carder bee queen Thomas Powell, N. Ireland cedar bough a wish turns sky ward Vishal Prabhu, India hurricane watch the aging boomer flies a kite Tony Pupello, USA dog days praying for the skies to open cloud burst . . . in this land we fear rain Audrey Quinn, Ireland/Mexico first green the groundhog and I share the field Bryan Rickert, USA spring afternoon the last bark of my dog Edward J. Rielly, USA one by one dandelions bounce . . . wake of a bee Aron Rothstein, USA arid soil where nothing will grow hollyhocks! dorre bodem waar niets wil groeien stokrozen! evening walk somewhere in the distance a cuckoo calls avondwandeling ergens in de verte roept een koekoek Marjolein Rotsteeg, The Netherlands planting spring peas his spirits rise from underground Janet Ruth, USA day moon out of the blue sky blooming jacaranda Bona M. Santos, USA starless night reading bedtime stories to dad again তারাহীন রাত ঘুমপাড়ানি গল্প শোনাই বাবাকে আবার Jharna Sanyal, India summer solstice dusk spreading the blackberry jam to the edges Kelly Sargent, USA trying to give advice to my daughter wild rose bushes Agnes Eva Savich, USA summer sunset the kernel inside the apricot stone crépuscule estival l’amande a l’intérieur du noyau de l’abricot Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland dandelion seed . . . a cloud’s pace through June Julie Schwerin, USA lift of the leaf relieved of the starling left soundless Ron Scully, USA blue mimosa – his memoir in the wind Manoj Sharma, Nepal deep river . . . I shelter the unsaid Richa Sharma, India Growing bigger a peony bud like an orb after a rainfall 牡丹の宝珠膨らむ雨上り bōtan no hōju hukuramu ame agari An old cherry tree blooming over the roof so many years passed 老桜屋根にかぶさる月日かな oi zakura yane ni kabusaru tsukihi kana Kyoko Shimizu, Japan glass flowers the crystal vase awaits spring कांच के फूल क्रिस्टल फूलदान बसंत की प्रतीक्षा में Neena Singh, India sunflower husks on the garden Buddha dhyana mudra George Skane, USA sunrise to sunset on the monk’s face the same smile Srini, India the blue ridge shifts in and out of reality rain squalls Joshua St. Claire, USA mother’s wanderings the smooth grooves of raindrops on the clay cliffs Sandra St-Laurent, Canada summer breeze rose petals fall gently upon her rocker Stephenie Story, USA flute song a hermit thrush reveals itself Debbie Strange, Canada spring wind the foster care door opens Neha Talreja, India wild roses . . . those hidden thorns of memory Angela Terry, USA premature spring a pink-lipped tulip retracts just out of reach summer’s first mulberries flicker in moonlight Shelly Reed Thieman, USA armchair nap . . . the cat on a windowsill in sunlight Richard Tice, USA opening the door – a bunch of poppies and a smile deschizând uşa – un mănunchi de maci şi un zâmbet Maria Tirenescu, Romania first light – this time my scan says the thinkable hare in the grass – he catches my gaze where the wind changes Xenia Tran, Scotland, UK in the park filled with sunlight acorn cup flash flood . . . waiting for the stars to fall too C. X. Turner, UK summer stars a family of elf owls in the birdbath Kevin Valentine, USA cherry blossom the hidden shape of a birdsong kersenbloesem de verborgen vorm van een vogelliedje Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands watching butterflies his call to ask me what i’m doing Marilyn Appl Walker, USA first sighting a baby lizard catches my eye Christine Wenk-Harrison, USA bee silence total solar eclipse somewhere in my memory sound of a mountain stream Kelley J. White, USA midsummer neither a tadpole nor a frog Tony Williams, Scotland, UK childhood garden when the rhubarb was sweet ogród dzieciństwa kiedy rabarbar był słodki Ernest Wit, Poland summer ends a smooth pebble in a child’s hand spring new leaves push free the New Year’s kite Robert Witmer, Japan solar eclipse opening the window to hear silence Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA ephemerals another message of condolence Susan Yavaniski, USA mango seed mother’s share after everyone Nitu Yumnam, India breath of spring the scarecrow’s cap in the air wiosenny poryw czapka stracha na wróble leci w górę Eugeniusz Zacharski, Poland scent of dawn – the lime tree has just bloomed parfum de l’aube – le citronnier vient de fleurir Elena Zouain, France Welcome to Volume 7, Autumn/Winter issue of this journal. This year as well, the world has been going through wars, intense climate change, divisiveness, despair, but also here and there signs of hope and unity. Our issue also reflects feelings of sadness and despair, perhaps as nature "dies" during autumn and winter, as well as some lighter haiku. Again, there are many excellent nature haiku in this issue. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did! The editors Hampden, Maine, USA November 2023 drizzle . . . memories return of an unborn child pioviggina . . . di un bambino mai nato tornano i ricordi Vincenzo Adamo, Italy thinning sun the faded painted ladies Cynthia Anderson, Australia autumn light how the aster unbends when the bee has gone Jenny Ward Angyal, USA harvest moon the smell of burning from neighboring country buwan ng ani ang amoy ng pagsusunog mula sa kapitbansa Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo, The Philippines grandma mends the broken wing snow angel Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA autumn drizzle singing the lullaby back to mom خزاں کی بوندا باندی ماں کی لوری ماں کے لئےگاتے ہوئے Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan letting go of daylight all that I know Joanna Ashwell, UK bare hawthorn morning light catches on barbs of frost Gavin Austin, Australia this longing to hold my baby . . . ghost apples Rowan Beckett, USA deep autumn old friends compare their laugh lines Mona Bedi, India out of these clouds a blossom that has no name-- first autumn rain Deborah A. Bennett, USA the scent of fresh-cut hay shhh! l’odeur du foin frais coupé chhhut! Maxianne Berger, Canada hidden doe the snap of a twig betrays her Sally Biggar, USA under the tree with no fruits the same shadow sous l’arbre qui n’a pas de fruits la même ombre Daniel Birnbaum, France sunrise blanketed by fog . . . invisible city Gwen Bitti, Australia almost breaking a vow of silence first snow Shawn Blair, USA autumn deepens . . . mourners walk to the grave site Nancy Brady, USA mussel shells the pearly insides hold moonlight Randy Brooks, USA new grey at your temples evening mist B. L. Bruce, USA sprayed grafitti on petroglyphs an elder weeps John Budan, USA a chickadee pecks at the birdbath below zero Alanna C. Burke, USA Birdsong Another name for hope In the morning Sarah Mahina Calvello, USA lifting mist . . . among the rubble wild flowers si dirada la foschia . . . tra le macerie fiori selvatici Mariangela Canzi, Italy first light the banyan chants in birdsong Matthew Caretti, USA/American Samoa silvergrass-- the long neck of a lone crane autumn moon-- taking me to my childhood this cuckoo’s song Ram Chandran, India jungle mist a gibbon’s hoop joins the chorus ジャングルの霧コーラスに手長猿 千秋 letting go of the bamboo leaf a dew drop 竹の葉をするりと抜けて露雫 千秋 Christina Chin, Malaysia moons come and go what month is this? Sue Colpitts, Canada autumn web holding a curled leaf holding a spider Julie Constable, Australia autumn the story I share with everything autunno la storia che condivido con tutto autumn solitude one more star in the Milky Way solitudine autunnale una stella in più nella Via Lattea Maria Concetta Conti, Italy winter tea a kinglet sips loblolly pine Bill Cooper, USA autumn leaves . . . the changing hue of my hair cold moon the hunter rises at dawn Sue Courtney, New Zealand autumn moonlight at every stop last train home liwanag ng buwan sa bawat hinto ng huling tren a little boy steps into his father’s shoes first snow ang hakbang ng bata sa sapatos ng ama unang nyebe Alvin Cruz, The Philippines woodland funeral . . . I put mom’s urn under this early budding tree горско погребение... под това твърде рано напъпило дърво полагам урната на мама Maya Daneva, Canada/The Netherlands/Bulgaria winter dawn wild turkeys startle the stillness Pat Davis, USA freezing cold Valentine’s bouquets at half-price froid glacial les bouquets de Valentin à mi-prix Marie Derley, Belgium colder with each distant bark each distant star Jan Dobb, Australia colors of autumn on a hedgehog’s back a yellow leaf Боје јесени. На јежевим леђима жути лист. Zoran Doderović, Serbia buried acorns no one knows my side of the story Carmela Dolce, USA in this autumn I seek my space-- bitter cocoa in questo autunno cerco il mio spazio-- cacao amaro Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo, The Netherlands/Italy one by one I let go . . . autumn rain Fred Donovan, USA the stars disappear one by one in the fishing net daybreak една по една потъват звездите в мрежата на рибаря зората Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria the child talks to a pinned butterfly-- summer’s gone copilul vorbeşte cu un fluture din insectar-- vara a trecut Ana Drobot, Romania a kaleidoscope of stars winter sky and I Rebecca Drouilhet, USA autumn days-- the sun rising slower and slower on the cold wall zile de toamnā-- tot mai încet soarele pe zidul rece Carmen Duvalma, Romania winter winds the quilter’s coffin draped with a lone star late winter storm the duck’s neck bends to her wing Lynn Edge, USA wind in the woods the dialects of our breaths David Kāwika Eyre, Hawaii, USA a song sparrow struts by my chair autumn coolness Susan Farner, USA the cold-- snails sleep through it more light on a penguin huddle-- winter moon Lorin Ford, Australia letting weariness go wings of a gull blackbird notes dusk deepens the silence Jenny Fraser, New Zealand autumn twilight a rusty wheelbarrow on a rutted road her voice in full-throated song the river at dusk Seth Friedman, Canada rippling clouds the broken crescent of the moon Mike Gallagher, Ireland lingering to view the clear moon the traveler se ha detenido ante la luna clara el caminante Rafael Garcia Bidò, Dominican Republic pedestrian crosswalk some comply some don’t windblown leaves LeRoy Gorman, Canada sliding off the back of the bay cicada chorus Michael Buckingham Gray, Australia across the Judaean morning sky church bells and prayers John S. Green, Jordan misty woods the invisible color of elderberry leaves boschi nebbiosi il colore invisibile delle foglie di sambuco Eufemia Griffo, Italy a searchlight across the border our shared moon John Hawkhead, UK day moon in the hospital window Gran’s smile 昼之月 医院窗口 姥姥的微笑 David He, China shipyard lights reflecting on the water new year’s eve Kerry J Heckman, USA ground fog clings to the lowlands slow-flying kestrels Deborah Burke Henderson, USA heavy snow-- in the window my buried name Robert Hirschfield, USA the peppery scent of sun-dried tomatoes lingering heat Ruth Holzer, USA winter sky the warmth of a wooden bench Frank Hooven, USA windflowers silently dancing fall wind outback sunset of embers to ash his last campfire Marilyn Humbert, Australia an ancient yew the night drawn into its heart Erica Ison, UK waiting room the rain flows quickly down the drainpipes čekaonica kiša brzo protiče kroz oluke Dejan Ivanovic, Serbia mother stops to hum with her son’s homecoming the silent moon Lakshmi Iyer, India rain ends the foghorn I hear from the hill 雨やんで坂道で聴く霧笛かな ame yande sakamochi de kiku mutekikana Keiko Izawa, Japan autumn rain filling a canoe with wild rice Rick Jackofsky, USA autumn evening a house cricket joins the ticking of time Govind Joshi, India deepening autumn wind how we’re all encouraged to sing war news again I stand with the wildflowers Elmedin Kadric, Sweden newly strung sitār accompanies the drop-in-- autumn butterfly नया ताना हुआ सितार मेहमान का साथ देता है-- शरद की तितली Monica Kakkar, India/USA harvest moon-- night not so long as it was once Kanya Kanchana, India Winter clear day-- polished fire engines standing by 寒晴れや磨き上げたる消防車 Satoru Kanematsu, Japan late autumn dew drops heavy on grass blades Spätherbst Schwere Tautropfen auf den Gräsern Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany autumn chill the breeze opens a page from war and peace Arvinder Kaur, India fall foliage . . . the missing letters in my surname Nicholas Klacsanzky, USA fall nocturne she adds bright shades on a canvas jesenji nokturno ona dodaje na platno svijetle nijanse Nina Kovačić, Croatia no sign of remission-- a woman dancing under snowfall in the hospital yard nici un semn de regres-- femeie dansând prin ninsoare pe alei de spital Lavana Kray, Romania Northern Lights painting the sky with our yearnings Jeff Kressmann, USA who we were before the fall cicada shells Beni Kurage, USA middle of the night first snow falling . . . little fawn here alone Jill Lange, USA running in circles endlessly refugee children at play Douglas J. Lanzo, USA last tomato on the sill so faintly the turn to snow Suzanne Leaf-Brock, USA an owl’s sweep through snowfall—the distance between train whistles kathryn liebowitz, USA cold snap turkey tracks spangle the river ice Kristen Lindquist, USA Chinatown night stroll . . . a childhood song uncurls from his erhu 夜逛唐人街 ... 從他的二胡音樂聲中 一首兒時歌曲展開來 Chen-ou Liu, Canada autumn sunrise the folded white of a bindweed alba d’autunno il bianco ripiegato di un convolvolo winter seaside an empty shell welcomes my solitude mare d’inverno una conchiglia vuota accoglie la mia solitudine Oscar Luparia, Italy a small pond the headwaters of the Tuolumne . . . we scatter father’s ashes paul m, USA pale petals . . . many unspoken words pressed between the pages Bipasha Majumder (De), India still clouds . . . trying to go further with my thoughts ancora nuvole . . . provando ad andare oltre con i pensieri Antonio Mangiameli, Italy All Souls’ Day the first autumn rain has fallen giorno dei morti la primera pioggia autunnale è caduta Carmela Marino, Italy geese roosting the lake misty with morning Sharon Martina, USA farmstead gate the smell of a mailbag stiff with frost black rain sheens a raven deepening winter Marietta McGregor, Australia night tide a young dog splashes luminescence Jo McInerney, Australia Autumn afternoon Under a yellow-bound ginko, empty chairs Tarde de otoño Bajo un ginko en sus ocres, sillas vacías Lía Miersch, Argentina twilight chatter of magpies in the stone pine crepuscolo chiacchiericcio di gazze nel pino domestico Daniela Misso, Italy winter fragrance my niece writes to me on a misty window mirosul iernii nepoata îmi scrie pe-o fereastră aburită falling walnuts in the hospital courtyard rainy season cad nucile în curtea spitalului sezonul ploilor Mircea Moldovan, Romania falling leaves the white-haired couple arm in arm winter night the smell of mulled wine fills the house Joanne Morcom, Canada folding a flannel sheet together . . . apple pie fragrance piegando insieme un lenzuolo di flanella-- profumo di torta di mele Luciana Moretto, Italy the snapping turtle only its head sticking out through the mud late autumn in the wetlands Wilda Morris, USA northern lights-- reaching for a hand that isn’t there the sound of falling dreams autumn rain Laurie D. Morrissey, USA harvest moon . . . my slumbering soul awakens Veronika Novak, Canada indian summer all the turtle’s limbs at full stretch indijansko poletje vsi želvini udi iztegnjeni do konca Polona Oblak, Slovenia winter gravel pit the thrum of waterfowl settling down to sleep Ben Oliver, UK early autumn a juvenile cardinal becomes his color Debbie Olson, USA frost burnt moon-- deeper hues induced by struggle Scott Packer, Canada cloudless blue as if everything was forgiven John Pappas, USA indifferent to whatever is dying autumn sky Vandana Parashar, India mom’s scent leaving for a dinner out cherries in the snow petro c. k., USA sparkling snow in the afternoon sunlight a deer lifts its gaze Gregory Piko, Australia autumn wind-- the distant memory of a caress vento d’autunno-- il ricordo lontano di una carezza Cinzia Pitingaro, Italy snow drifting into my dreams sideways wind Ruth Powell, Canada drifting mist a brown-lipped snail deep amongst dunes shingle berm a mussel shell once home for barnacles Thomas Powell, N. Ireland last leaves the faded spine of an old chapbook Tony Pupello, USA cold, clear night-- the silence between the stars Sally Quon, Canada morning walk autumn’s crisp breath on every leaf Carol Raisfeld, USA nightfall into one nothingness maples and weed flowers Meera Rehm, UK calm water a fisherman pulls up his catch between clouds Samantha Renda, South Africa autumn or winter the liquidambar still deciding Carol Reynolds, Australia the crane folding itself autumn night Bryan Rickert, USA autumn cleanup homeless people again take down their tents Edward J. Rielly, USA by pumpkin’s light a lonely corner of a little town Chad Lee Robinson, USA a dead butterfly on the beach-- sudden fall en död fjäril på stranden-- plötslig höst Daniela Rodi, Finland sun, clouds and rain alternate I contemplate life zon, wolken, regen wisselen elkaar af ‘k overdenk ‘t leven Marjolein Rotsteeg, The Netherlands first frost tonight grasshopper launches into the sound of absence Janet Ruth, USA a long journey . . . in mother’s clothing the scent of snow Jacob D. Salzer, USA spilled seed packet. . . blackbirds burst from the field Julie Schwerin, USA dusk . . . blackbirds peck at the last sunflowers Paula Sears, USA autumn-- all the times I had to let go Debarati Sen, India winter solstice the tall shadow of the mountain Manoj Sharma, Nepal evening moon one lives, one dies in the greeting card Richa Sharma, India October mountain what is the use of wanting this moment to last? Noga Shemer, USA Buddha image lying with half-open eyes autumn deepens 半眼に横たふ仏秋深む Long autumn rains-- boats rolling heavily the muddy river 秋霖や舟大揺れに濁り河 Kyoko Shimizu, Japan a trout ripples the moon in the flowing river एक ट्राउट चाँद को तरंगित करे बहती नदी में misty morning a sunbeam flits distant birdsong धुंधली सुबह सूरज की किरण छितराये दूर पक्षी का संगीत Neena Singh, India wavering rain the polysyllabic language of wood thrush Joshua St. Claire, USA autumn morning dew glistens the flowers in grandma’s garden Stephenie Story, USA moonlit path silver seed gourds begin to wander Debbie Strange, Canada autumn deepens so many wounds . . . starless night Angela Terry, USA ripe persimmons we put a sale sign by mother’s home Richard Tice, USA stack of old letters in grandfather’s drawer-- leafless trees teanc de scrisori vechi în scrinul bunicului-- pomi fără frunze Maria Tirenescu, Romania autumn wind loose roof tiles quietly clatter lockere dachshindeln im herbstwind-- ein leises scheppern Ulrike Titelbach, Austria just watercolours-- in the middle of the winter branches of roses solo acquerelli-- nel mezzo dell’inverno rami di rose Maria Tosti, Italy winter sun . . . he promises where he’ll scatter my ashes Xenia Tran, Scotland, UK winter lake my gradual slide into shadows C.X. Turner, UK late autumn waiting for the juncos to arrive Kevin Valentine, USA first frost a cricket shell sung empty eerste vorst de huls van een krekel leeggezongen Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands lonesome moon the mourning dove’s call one coo short winter rain i find a scrap of the dress mom was buried in Marilyn Appl Walker, USA steaming chowder-- a long phone call from the old country Michael Dylan Welch, USA snow squall my grandson’s first steps Kelley J. White, USA snail summiting an unpicked pumpkin chill in the air Mike White, USA autumn drought-- in the old pack-horse track tales long forgotten Neal Whitman, USA the right time to settle down autumn leaves Robert Witmer, Japan we could too – if the sparrows survive this winter Tony Williams, Scotland, UK autumn solitude a salmon-belly sunset on the cold river jesienna pustka łososiowy zachód słońca nad zimną rzeką the voice of the unsayable wind in yellow reeds głos niewypowiedzianego wiatr w żółtych trzcinach Ernest Wit, Poland saying goodbye to a close friend . . . rain from a cloudless sky Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA morning star my prayer for peace inaudible Susan Yavaniski, USA Haiku Moment Award wildflowers a butterfly pollinates my dreams Vincenzo Adamo, Italy Runners Up (in alphabetical order) spring morning I sing to a world in birdsong Shawn Blair, USA autumn rain the moment the blossom becomes fruit Sue Courtney, New Zealand teach me to accept light early daffodil научи ме да приемам светлина ранен нарцис Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) hollow tree trunk attuning to the sound of emptiness Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan spring morning a toddler’s smile full of light Mona Bedi, India country road there was a time she sang with skylarks John Hawkhead, UK falling leaf . . . how quietly you let go Vibha Malhotra, India crying today for the third time: autumn grasses our thomas, USA spring dawn my dad tunes his flute to the birds’ song пролетно утро баща ми настройва флейтата си за песента на птиците Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria dandelion clocks . . . with a breath I am become Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan Welcome to this Spring/Summer issue of the journal. After the last few years of pandemic and wars, although many things in the world are still problematic, it seems that there is a lighter mood in the air and in the haiku of this issue. There are still a number of powerful haiku about death and loss, but also some lighthearted ones, and as usual, many sensitive nature haiku. Hope you enjoy the selection! Bruce Ross, Maine, USA wildflowers
a butterfly pollinates my dreams Vincenzo Adamo, Italy spring snow plucking pear blossoms from baby’s ringlets Farah Ali, UK guidelines through dragonfly wings my open journal Michelle V. Alkerton, Canada no older than I’ve ever been . . . snow pea blossom Cynthia Anderson, USA mountain hike caressed by the scent of wild lavender Emma Alexander Arthur, Norway frost warning a curled bud clings to itself morning pause the pulse of sap in the maple Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA taking off a dreamer’s sky of geese just for you I leave a leaf for humanity Joanna Ashwell, UK chasing a memory moon tide Susan B. Auld, USA spring morning a toddler’s smile full of light not sure what the future holds vernal equinox Mona Bedi, India Ursa Major an old spruce forest also points in my garden clog a tiny spider weaves I go barefoot Millicent Bee, USA burnished sunset a little girl’s wish utters itself crépuscule redoré le désir d'une fillette s'énonce lui-même Maxianne Berger, Canada so sudden how a marsh hawk’s shadow scatters ducks Sally Biggar, USA spring morning I sing to a world in birdsong Shawn Blair, USA summer afternoon the honeybee attracted to her sunflower pin Nancy Brady, USA inchworm inching up a thread ripe raspberries Randy Brooks, USA mountain violet the sunrise and I B.L. Bruce, USA a grasshopper flits over a train track my faraway dreams John Budan, USA mexican hats tremble under the weight of bees deep summer Alanna C. Burke, USA midnight moon in the mango tree fruit bat prattle Matthew Caretti, USA/American Samoa her dahlias blooming red by the road empty house Louise Carson, Canada path to my hut a robin song from the thickets of bamboo Ram Chandran, India beside the whitewater a faint fluttering in the ferns Tom Clausen, USA dad’s grave spring scents mingle in the air la tomba di papà i profumi primaverili si mescolano nell’aria Maria Concetta Conti, Italy Cranes flying – I bend my paper into a thousand folds. Sophia Conway, Canada a cricket sings through a leaf hole rising gibbous Bill Cooper, USA the place no one wants dandelions bloom insistent the knock of a woodpecker Evan Coram, USA spring tide a fisherman catches the moon Sue Courtney, New Zealand no trespassing – wild honeysuckle climbs over the sign Tina Crenshaw, USA saying goodbye – a drop of rain rolls down the orange leaf Ashesh Das, India back at night the frogs’ voices lead us in the dark retour de nuit les crapauds nous guident sur le chemin Marie Derley, Belgium morning breeze between lemon branches an empty nest Tuyet Van Do, Australia heirloom seeds placing a few extra in each hole Carmela Dolce, USA waiting in silence the humpback whales release their breath broken promise the ocean and sky become one C. Jean Downer, USA teach me to accept light early daffodil научи ме да приемам светлина ранен нарцис Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria reincarnated Zen gardener now raking patterns in his litter box John J. Dunphy, USA end of summer – raising their wings stork chicks sfârşitul verii – înălţând aripile puii de barză Carmen Duvalma, Romania riverside trail . . . still leafless enough to see all the new nests Anna Eklund-Cheong, France bright birdsong binding the broken cup kintsugi gold Jonathan English, USA the many winds back again in breath of words nā kini makani eia hou ana i ka hanu ‘ōlelo David Kāwika Eyre, Hawai’i/USA soaring hawk . . . a piece of sunshine between each feather Bill Fay, USA the song of my boyhood . . . spring peepers Jeffrey Ferrara, USA the dancing lights of Sumatran fireflies – coda to my dream all thought sinks to the well’s dark bottom a sweltering nigh Lorin Ford, Australia deep breath the fragrance of bird cherry on a rainy day głęboki oddech zapach czeremchy w deszczowy dzień recovery behind my mom’s ear a daisy flower powrót do zdrowia za uchem mojej mamy kwiat stokrotki Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland back to breath on an earthen path wind through the reeds beat of gannet wings dusk taking me deeper Jenny Fraser, New Zealand her dementia . . . resembling the robin song la sua demenza . . . ricorda la canzone del pettirosso Barbara Anna Gaiardoni, Italy full moon picking out the rims of distant hills leaping through pools of light a squirrel Mike Gallagher, Ireland Summer is coming – a little foal named Tobias Llega el verano – un potrillo llamado Tobìas Rafael Garcia Bidò, Dominican Republic taking a new road field upon field of cherry blossoms Marilyn Gehant, USA abandoned gravestones mothers’ old prayers whispered by the wind lapidi abbandonate vecchie preghiera delle madri susurrate dal vento almost dawn a commuter follows the trail of a lone star quasi l’alba un pendolare segue la scia di una stella solitaria Eufemia Griffo, Italy lichen on bricks how to tell children who’s winning Charles Harmon, USA windless air the nature of a tree also in silence country road there was a time she sang with skylarks John Hawkhead, UK buttering toast mom tells me how to spread her ashes Kerry J Heckman, USA effortlessly an iceberg falls into the sea disappears 難なく 氷山が落ちる なくなる nan’naku Hyōzan ga ochiru nakunaru Judith Hishikawa, USA a light at the end of the day first firefly camellia knowing when to fall Ruth Holzer, USA summer cattails a small girl releases a frog Frank Hooven, USA fresh lime colors the canopy daylight buds Deborah Burke Henderson, USA the old bull stands his ground jackrabbit Lee Hudspeth, USA spring breeze susurration of mitchell grass beneath a sickle moon Marilyn Humbert, Australia gentle breeze pink petals dripping out of the blue boare uşoară picurînd din senin petale roz Mona Iordan, Romania red grains I hold a cracked pomegranate in my hand crvena zrnca držim u ruci raspukli nar Dejan Ivanovic, Serbia rice rain – simmering in the pot the porridge for her 粥煮ゆる音のやさしき穀雨かな kayu niyuru oto no yasashiki kokuwu kana Keiko Izawa, Japan letting go – a butterfly folds and unfolds the scent of colours Lakshmi Iyer, India spring tide – the Sea of Tranquility keeps me up all night Rick Jackofsky, USA summer evening children playing hide and seek in the sugarcane field Govind Joshi, India Evening moon – tadpoles a kid forgot in the bucket 宵の月子の忘れたる桶の蝌蚪 Satoru Kanematsu, Japan salt marshes . . . rainbow droplets bloom on water Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany evening sun the fire of robinsong kj munro, Canada the stuttered hoot of an owl through the silence a melancholy echo Kim Klugh, USA summer downpour mom unties the ribbon from her hair bun ljetni pljusak majka razvezuje traku iz punđe Nina Kovacic, Croatia desert window a coyote seems to have heard tonight’s dreams Jeff Kressman, USA pruning . . . a lock of her son’s hair that she keeps obrezovanje . . . ta pramen sinovih las ki ga še hrani Samo Kreutz, Slovenia darkness missing you silver moon this robin outside my window wishing me awake Jill Lange, USA a chink in the rain where light slips in blue chicory Kathryn Liebowitz, USA scudding clouds a flock of waxwings shreds the cherry blossoms Kristen Lundquist, USA the sky dappled with cotton candy clouds . . . summer fair 天空佈滿 棉花糖形狀的雲彩 ... 夏季博覽會 Chen-ou Liu, Canada spring I lose track of the sun’s comings and goings Gregory Longenecker, USA rebuilding . . . twigs and sunbeams intertwined in the swallows’ nests ricostruzione . . . ramoscelli e raggi di sole intrecciati nei nidi delle rondini scentless flowers the smell of sun in my hands fiori senza profumo l’odore del sole tra le mie mani Oscar Luparia, Italy raking wet leaves . . . remembering what made the old scar Anthony Lusardi, USA summer solstice the dry riverbed face of my grandfather Bipasha Majumder (De), India spring cleaning those long love letters into pieces now Devoshruti Mandal, India Holy Week my caterpillar becomes chrysalis settimana santa il mio bruco diventa crisalide Carmela Marino, Italy a crow’s caw lost in flight . . . such fog on the distant shore Richard L. Matta, USA Birds are drinking from a dripping tap Times of drought Beben los pàjaros de un grifo que gotea Tiempo de seca Lìa Miersch, Argentina wind dies down the solo of a cricket somewhere il vento si placa l’assolo di un grillo da qualche parte Daniela Misso, Italy fiddleheads so insistent the baby’s grasp Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA the rain pares rose petals down to nothing – memory fading la pioggia riduce a nulla i petali di rosa dissolvenza della memoria Luciana Moretto, Italy siblings in the plantain grove hand-in-hand Suraj Nanu, India perhaps in the next life . . . sakura twilight . . . a fawn sipping silence Veronika Zora Novak, Canada magnolia blossoms the mute swans’ courtship dance cvet magnolije labodov grbcev dvoritveni ples unfolding from the river mist elderflower scent odvija se iz rečne megle vonj bezgovega cvetja Polona Oblak, Slovenia gathered seeds the growing wildness of my garden seacliff daisies just beyond reach spring tide Helen Ogden, USA step stones the fragile curve of her spine August afternoon shimmering on stone crescent suns Debbie Olson, USA its trunk glossier in the spring evening rain – Himalayan birch Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland magpie songs – the space between dream and dawn Scott Packer, Canada cemetery gates the caretaker shows me the way forward first light bending to the brook doe shadow John Pappas, USA March rain just for a day the same winter gloom Vandana Parashar, India Blue damselflies – dancing lights in the woods Hiking at sunrise . . black-tailed deer in canyon mist M.R. Pelletier, USA sycamore sapling a hooded crow calls high in the trees blackcap song . . . ripples from the mist reach the lough’s shore Thomas Powell, N. Ireland country clothesline – the afternoon unfolding Tony Pupello, USA butterfly wings silent silhouettes on the shade Carol Raisfeld, USA water beads roll off mint sherbet homecoming Kavita Ratna, India workday over the evening lit by daffodils Dian Duchin Reed, USA the quiet house . . . almost hearing my dead dog bark Edward J. Rielly, USA within the brush pile downed magnolia branches blossom Aron Rothstein, USA memorial service her voice breaking on the word joy Agnes Eva Savich, USA longest day canoeing until we become silhouettes Julie Schwerin, USA raft of ducks dawdle the hours away no plans either Ronald Scully, USA even the egret lingers longer summer solstice Paula Sears, USA sudden rain looking for some shelter a butterfly enters afternoon tea I contemplate sakura in each sip Manoj Sharma, Nepal cherry blossoms he needs more time to come home Richa Sharma, India Peonies fallen the fragrance still spreading on the ground 散りてなほ地に香をひろぐ牡丹かな Kyoko Shimizu, Japan spring dawn my dad tunes his flute to the birds’ song пролетно утро баща ми настройва флейтата си за песента на птиците Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria a trout disappears in the tree’s shadow – flowing river एक ट्राउट लुप्त वृक्ष की छाया में-- बहती नदी Neena Singh, India railroad station my father closes his eyes Joshua St. Claire, USA sweet tea day her apron swaddles picked flowers pink amaryllis the journey of life in her songs Stephenie Story, USA sun salutation a thimbleful of dew in each buttercup thawing lake the hockey net catches a trout Debbie Strange, Canada dandelion clocks . . . with a breath I am become new leaf to new leaf . . . the butterfly he’ll never be Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan cherry blossoms whilst all the snowflakes turn to snow Herb Tate, UK little waves bottom up to shore the old turtle Andrew Terrell, Australia filling up the squeaky clean sky spring starlight Angela Terry, USA May Day the sparrows sing a little louder May Day burung gereja berkicau lebih nyaring lagi Elisa Theriana, Indonesia beachcombing among the shell fragments mermaid tears Richard Tice, USA shutters closed – over the mountain village storm clouds obloane închise – peste satul de munte nori de furtună Maria Tirenescu, Romania mountain village a chimney sweeper moth flits through the grass Xenia Tran, Scotland UK grounding myself in simpler times wood anemones C.X. Turner, UK greening forest longed for songs return to the trees Kevin Valentine, USA her absence the spaces between raindrops in the attic a forgotten childhood aroma of heat David Watts, USA mulberry harvest the first and the last of the cedar wax wings Christine Wenk-Harrison, USA Turkish delight the pink perfume of a summer dawn Tony Williams, Scotland, UK crescent moon – the first blackbird-song of the year Juliet Wilson, UK spring flowers the garden gnomes play hide and seek Robert Witmer, Japan peeling away layers the sycamore and me Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA spring offering – she places another mushroom in her basket Wai Mei Wong, Canada spring snow my father’s steps faltering Susan Yavaniski, USA Welcome to the 6th volume of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. I am thrilled that it has become so popular and even happier about the quality of the haiku we have been able to publish, and the true international nature of the journal, including a number of languages. We received about 1000 haiku for review this time (we are limiting submissions therefore to 2 haiku per person going forward). This issue contains a good number of fine nature haiku, and there are many haiku about loss and grief as well. As the world goes through wars, climate change and a pandemic, poets are responding to the current times with powerful haiku. Hope you will enjoy reading this Autumn/Winter issue. Bruce Ross, December 2022 pruning – reflected in the river the changes potatura – si specchiano nel fiume i cambiamenti Autumn leaves it sails in the fog the depression foglie d’autunno – naviga nella nebbia la depressione Vincenzo Adamo, Italy the hospital sleeps our last conversation lit by the moon het ziekenhuis slaapt ons laatste gesprek verlicht door de maan Annette Akkerman, The Netherlands crickets absent after the downpour – autumn chill turning heads the mountain chickadee’s teacher voice Cynthia Anderson, USA frostbite – my father’s excuses for giving me up Lithica Ann, USA full harvest moon a gust of wind polishes the chubby pumpkins lună plină – pala de vânt lustruiește dovlecii dolofani Cristina Valeria Apetrei, Romania autumn moon a mother’s quiet conversation with an empty crib buwang taglagas tahimik na pag-uusap ng isang ina at kunang walang laman autumn wind fanning the dying embers in her eyes hanging taglagas pagpaypay sa namamatay na baga sa kanyang mga mata Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo, Philippines blackbird’s song among the spruce one yellowing birch svarttrostsang blant grantrærne en gulnende bjørk Emma Alexander Arthur, Norway foreclosure the corn rows covered in snow misty moon a blanket of leaves on the baby quilt Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA hollow tree trunk attuning to the sound of emptiness Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan whichever way we leave the forest pine light shaping the shore rain light Joanna Ashwell, UK autumn breeze – the gentle sway of an empty swing Mona Bedi, India first frost – laying the baby’s blanket on the mums Deborah A. Bennett, USA old well all those wishes the bucket never reached vieux puits tous ces souhaits que le seau n’a jamais atteints Maxianne Berger, Canada the changing colors of the flower garden autumn clouds Shawn Blair, USA late-blooming roses bittersweet is their smell amid falling leaves spätblühende Rosen bittersüss ist ihr Duft zwischen fallenden Blättern Benjamin Bläsi, Switzerland leaves in the wind families still looking for those scattered by war frunze în vânt familiile încă îi caută pe cei împrăștiați de război early haze mom calls my daughter by my name ceață timpurie mama o cheamă pe fiica mea pe numele meu Mirela Brăilean, Romania All Saints’ Day . . . a patch of blue in the elm chirping leaves . . . how beautiful some are dying Ed Bremson, USA rotten park bench a crow teaches me winter morsche Parkbank eine Krähe erklärt mir den Winter bird of passage I surrender myself to the wind Zugvogel ich überlasse mich dem Wind thaw my father’s footprints vanish Tau die Spuren meines Vaters verschwinden Stefanie Bucifal, Germany winter solstice a crow rakes emptiness into a sand garden John Budan, USA ice in an empty nest moon sliver a walking stick clings to the front door screen autumn arrives Alanna C. Burke, USA first freeze a baby tarantula by the door Claire Vogel Camargo, USA an old pond – the little fish drinks full moon un vecchio stagno – il pesciolino beve la luna piena full moon – who knows what it presents on the other side la luna piena – chissà cosa presenta sull’ altro lato Dennys Cambarau, Italy autumn moon – the tea got cold a long time ago in my cup luna de toamnă – ceaiul s-a răcit demult în cana mea Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania the half lives of hermit crabs silent dawn Matthew Caretti, USA a city square first Christmas ball on the tree the Moonlight gradski trg prva kuglica na boru mjesečina Mihovila Čeperic-Biljan, Croatia a startled crow in the forest creek autumn voice 秋声に驚く森の烏かな windsongs rustling the dry leaves autumnal clear day 秋澄めり風にさらさら葉が揺れて among the trees hidden cicadas cry sounds of autumn 木に隠れ蝉の鳴きたる秋の声 Christina Chin, Malaysia acorns wide open rook beaks żołędzie szeroko otwarte gawronie dzioby Marta Chociłowska, Poland lonesome oak a squirrel snatches the last acorn samotny dąb wiewiórka porywa ostatni żołądź Sebastian Chrobak, Poland deep into autumn I rake through my memories before darkness falls Dana Clark-Millar, USA in the pumpkin patch grandma’s Easter floral hat crows pick the daisies Sharon D. Cohagan, Germany moon’s bright face I too have a dark side Sue Colpitts, Canada kettle whistles cranking up the volume our kitchen cricket Julie Constable, Australia under ripe apples a few shakes of the head 12-point elk Bill Cooper, USA v-formation the silence in my house returning autumn rain the moment the blossom becomes fruit Sue Courtney, New Zealand my face aglow with moonlight first snow Ronald K. Craig, USA mid-autumn rain the unfamiliar road home ulan sa gitna ng taglagas tinahak ang tahanan sa dimawaring landas Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines autumn embers burn a hole in my heart – enduring love Anne Louise Curran, New Zealand old injury beautiful mushrooms on the dead tree vieille blessure des champignons superbes sur l’arbre mort Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium old age grandma feels it in the stone lichen преклонна въсраст баба я чувства по лишея на камъка autumn crocus . . . feeling grateful for the spring in the winter есенни минзухари... благодарна съм за пролетта през зимата Maya Daneva, Canada/Bulgaria November rain. My mother is withering at the cancer clinic. Novembarska kiša. Moja majka vene na klinici za kancer. Zoran Doderovic, Serbia still contagious leaves blow again to someone else Carmela Dolce, USA harvest moon in the straw bowl the song of a cricket есенна луна в сламената купа песен на щурец days-long painting the color of her eyes first autumn rain с дни рисува цвета на очите й първи есенен дъжд almost autumn in the thrush beak a sunbeam почти есен в човката на дрозда слънчев лъч Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria two bugs in love on the last blooming rose – Indian summer vară indiană - doi gândaci îndrăgostiți pe ultima roză Carmen Duvalma, Romania a ray of sunlight on the pitched roof winter sky autumn twilight heavy dew mantles this overgrown lawn the rattle of brittle bamboo record cold Lynn Edge, USA first frost . . . last cherry tomatoes catching rays on the sill Anna Eklund-Cheong, France/USA moonlight a memory a moment David Kāwika Eyre, USA harvest moon over drought crops the sun still rises a crow carries his morning morsel no sunrise today Susan Farner, USA the passing of a favorite childhood player autumn breeze a flurry of crows in the redwood branches autumn wind Bruce H. Feingold, USA autumn dusk all that was left were footprints dapit-hapong taglagas ang tanging natira ay mga bakas ng paa winter fog all of the unwritten memories hamog sa taglamig lahat ng hindi naisulat na mga alaala Nestorio Felerino, Philippines spawning rout the careful angler casts elsewhere Jeffrey Ferrara, USA apple bruise telling mother i don’t believe fall colours the slow revealing of bird nests P.H. Fischer, Canada autumn sun wrinkles on my father’s face deepen jesienne słońce zmarszczki na twarzy ojca pogłębiają się leaving the hospital on the cheek of the newborn snowflake przed szpitalem na policzku noworodka płatek śniegu Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland swallow song in the waves drawing a deeper breath the wind’s path through autumn grass an unknown longing coming home to the pines . . . a scent of childhood Jenny Fraser, New Zealand windsong leaf by leaf stars come out where we talked Peter Free, New Zealand that time of year – the sycamore leaves teased into colour tillage the earth darkening with the rain Mike Gallagher, Ireland oh! to stay alive – the stars of Orion in the silence ah seguir vivo – las estrellas de Orión en el silencio a tree filled with oranges and birds – sunset un árbol lleno de naranjas y pájaros – atardecer Rafael Garcìa Bidò, Dominican Republic a garbage picker offers one of his treasures morning glory Marilyn Gehant, USA autumn chill – wasps recognize our home as a nest есенен хлад – оси припознават дома ни като гнездо Ivan Georgiev, Bulgaria All Souls’ Dan the scent of walnut leaves in the fireplace Giorno dei morti profumo di foglie di noce nel camino Eufemia Griffo, Italy frozen wave . . . snails curled tight in their shells Lorraine Haig, Australia reminder of impermanence autumn eclipse Charles Harmon, USA ancient pine a bend in the trunk the wind curls through slow flowing stream a bubble floats past within its own sky one horse town crows crack open songs of dust John Hawkhead, UK poulnabrone dolmen i leave my sadness on the stone your name on the gravestone a swallowtail catches my breath cold autumn morning nothing left to remind us there were butterflies Kerry J Heckman, USA cricket in the kitchen silent now Ruth Holzer, USA the rhythm of raindrops duelling pobblebonks Louise Hopewell, Australia leaf-fall the thinning of my family tree листопад оредяването на родословното ми дърво Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria sickle moon tilts and swings across the fall sky Marilyn Humbert, USA a leaf falls on the open page poetry book o frunză cade pe pagina deschisă carte de poezii Mona Iordan, Romania a flock of geese each bird turned toward the setting sun Erica Ison, UK leaves in the wind – all those words that hold us together frunze în vânt – toate acele vorbe ce ne ţin împreună Dan C. Iulian, Romania autumn funeral – uncle’s violin strains in the rustling leaves 草の音に 叔父の提琴 秋の葬 kusa no ne ni oji no teikin aki no sō morning silence – autumn chill in napping cat’s breath 朝静か猫眠る息に秋寒 asa shizuka neko nemuru iki ni akisamu Keiko Izawa, Japan leaves turning in the autumn wind I lose my place Rick Jackofsky, USA unable to chirp the snow away winter birds Roberta Beach Jacobson, USA the kestrel barely quivers – autumn wind Christopher Jupp, UK Harvest moon – moving to the window my wheelchair 満月や窓辺に寄せる車椅子 Satoru Kanematsu, Japan leaves on the road to my childhood home dappled light John-Thomas Kelly, USA leaping salmon the shattered surface of the moon Taylor Jo Kelly, UK fallen leaf another memory mom fails to recall lá rụng một ký ức nữa của mẹ rơi vào quên lãng Ngô Bình Anh Khoa, Vietnam pilgrimage . . . the stillness between her steps Lori Kiefer, UK sickle moon a wheat stalk untouched by the harvesters Ravi Kiran, India leaves carried away on this autumn wind – funeral procession winter silence the snowshoe hare hops away kjmunro, Canada autumn leaves swept up in the moment late autumn rain the slow drip drip last chemo treatment frosty morning – a gray squirrel snug in the maple’s knothole dad’s white rose in full bloom the fall day we bury him Kim Klugh, USA surf hole in the mussel shell your absence Deborah P Kolodji, USA forgotten promise – in an autumn puddle the rising sun zapomniana obietnica - w jesiennej kałuży wschodzące słońce Marek Kozubek, Poland humble shrine ants are carrying away the pleas skromno svetišče četa mravelj odnaša sledi priprošenj Samo Kreutz, Slovenia in November light among the wild asters this honey bee out here awhile . . . with this Norway spruce and full moon Jill Lange, USA clanging rakes in the storage shed autumn’s return washing sunlight from the leaves autumn rain Barrie Levine, USA pausing on the trail amid sunlit asters meadowhawk Day of the Dead this butterfly too late to migrate Kristen Lindquist, USA early leaf fall . . . my wife holds me tighter even in sleep 早早落葉 ... 即使在睡眠中我的妻子 把我抱得更緊 Chen-ou Liu, Canada autumn leaf the nurse taps a vein on Mother’s arm woodpile I gather the night’s musings it’s the clothes that make the man scarecrow Gregory Longenecker, USA endless rain the garden gnome always smiles pioggia incessante lo gnomo da giardino sorride sempre winter dawn a chirping rises I wonder where alba d’inverno si alza un cinguettio chissà da dove Oscar Luparia, Italy a cloud takes the birdsong with it Heather Lurie, New Zealand my gingko sheds all her leaves at once ground turns to gold Mandy Macdonald, Scotland, UK night holiday market – a mistletoe twig left behind Elena Malec, USA the full moon absorbs my every shadow la luna piena assorbe ogni mia ombra Maria Malferrari, Italy cirrus sky . . . unsure strokes of goodbye falling leaf . . . how quietly you let go waning crescent . . . going back to where I once found you Vibha Malhotra, India the war is over I still walk noiselessly on the dry leaves wojna skończona wciąż chodzę bezszelestnie wśród suchych liści Urszula Marciniak, Poland for sale in the autumn wind – empty cobweb za prodaju na jesenskom vjetru prazna paučina Tomislav Maretić, Croatia autumn morning the tarnished mirror reminds me that I’m alive mattina d’autunno lo specchio appannato mi ricorda che sono vivo autumn awakening leaving my shadow under the bed risveglio autunnale lasciando la mia ombra sotto al letto Carmela Marino, Italy a stray cat prowling the fence line low winter sun ravens jostle above the upper branches late winter squall Jo McInerney, Australia Orion the space within fills me deep pines my shadow left behind paddling the milky way all the way to shore Tyler McIntosh, USA scent of jasmine by the glittering sea lunar silence luccichio di mare profumo di gelsomino nel silenzio lunare Rita R Melissano, USA/Italy The flood Drifting downstreet, little nothings . . . dreams . . . La inundación Flotando calle abajo, cositas . . . sueños Lìa Miersch, Argentina swirl of leaves in the wheelchair’s wake autumn rain late winter rain the radiance of rust on the widow’s gate Mark Miller, Australia autumn moon a slight chill around my shoulders mother’s scent Hla Yin Mon, Myanmar autumn rain the unexpected death of an old friend falling leaves I contemplate the road not taken Joanne Morcom, Canada rusted paperclip in my father’s notebook foggy Sunday graffetta arrugginita nel taccuino di mio padre nebbiosa Domenica Luciana Moretto, Italy wild chicory along the roadside circlets of sky Wilda Morris, MSA such hurrying . . . the russet and black of a woolly bear Laurie D. Morrissey, USA all day long the flicker hammers I’m here I’m here Nika, Canada starless night beyond the street light darkness deepens noč brez zvezd za ulično svetilko globlja tema Polona Oblak, Slovenia Dad’s grave, All Soul’s Eve lighting the last candle from his kitchen drawer Sean O’Connor, Ireland crying today for the third time: autumn grasses our thomas, USA Clair de Lune in the early dusk street harper Roland Packer, Canada orchard ladder leaning into the tree late afternoon light John Pappas, USA deep autumn another friend’s face on obituary page winter storm closing the book before I reach the end outside out gate a day before Diwali* a brand new hearse *Diwali is the biggest festival in India Vandana Parashar, India autumn forest – through holes in fog pockets a briefly glimpsed crow Alan Peat, UK A fallen tree spans the creek – squirrel crossing M. R. Pelletier, USA Failed harvest dust clouds wander these withered fields Gregory Piko, USA moonbeams – the silent spider weaves a sparkling web rayons de lune – l’arraignée silencieuse tisse un fil scintillant Nicole Pottier, France winter nearer a jackdaw whispers in the scarecrow’s ear gaeaf yn agos y jac-y-do yn sibrwd yng nglust y bwgan brain woodland moss . . . mute swans’ wingbeats head for the lough mwswm yr allt… sŵn yr elyrch dof yn hedfan am y llyn Thomas Powell, Wales/UK children’s parade – the autumn moon festival begins in sunshine festivity beneath the autumn moon white butterfly’s wings Patricia Prime, New Zealand mid-autumn chill – from the open door the cat sniffs the air Sally Quon, Canada pulled by stars geese on their path leaving winter behind Carol Raisfeld, USA mirrored in paint red and yellow leaves mirrored in the creek dried lavender in a bowl by the bed autumn dreams the soft whir of a passing bird autumn in the air Dian Duchin Reed, USA leonid shower we pause a while to count stars wild berries jam grandma stirs in a folksong Meera Rehm, UK Autumn breeze the maple surrenders its last leaves Carol Reynolds, Australia covered bridge time flowing beneath us Edward J. Rielly, USA micro cosmos . . . in every dewdrop the morning sun mikrokosmos i varje daggdroppe morgonsolen Daniela Rodi, Finland/Sweden reaching up the apple tree holds a bear Aron Rothstein, USA mourning moon fallen leaves settling on his For Sale sign Cynthia Rowe, Australia the crickets chirp me off the porch to the red moon cvrčci odzvrčali me s balkona na pun mjesec D.V. Rozic, Croatia autumn chill an ember-baked potato warms my hands Agnes Eva Savich, USA mirror lake a sapling’s first autumn killer frost a childless couple gathers in the orphaned pumpkins Julie Schwerin, USA westerly . . . the lingering scent of a peeled orange steaming tea . . . my eyes on the snowscape the blind busker on a sloping hill . . . winter dusk Manoj Sharma, Nepal autumn rain the full absence of the moon Richa Sharma, India The sun in mountains collected day by day apples ripen bright 山の日を溜めて色濃く林檎熟る Mackerel sky – I look up from my house recalling the journey 鰯雲家居に仰ぐ旅の空 Kyoko Shimizu, Japan wildflowers bloom in the unsown fields battle line диви цветя цъфтят в незасетите ниви фронтова линия Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria A deer pauses in the evening glow . . . hunter’s moon Keith A. Simmonds, France barn owl screech – first nibble off the moon Sandra Simpson, New Zealand autumn twilight . . . a peacock calls through a hundred eyes शरद गोधूलि.. एक मोर पुकारता है सौ आँखों से old turtle . . . I too wish to carry my home बूढ़े कछुए... मैं भी अपना घर ढ़ोना चाहती हूं back to earth by the gardener’s rake . . . autumn deepens पृथ्वी पर वापस माली की रेक से ... गहराती शरद ऋतु Neena Singh, India October heatwave nowhere red and yellow hues I still long for fall R J Sobel, USA autumn stars our children discover the constellations Stephenie Story, USA still learning to find my place . . . ghost fossil Debbie Strange, Canada what little wind . . . fall swirls around the dog and clings Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan winter gust I walk to the scent of the past angin musim dingin aku berjalan menuju aroma masa lalu wild thoughts . . . the warbler song in another chord pikiran liar . . . kicau seekor burung dalam nada lain Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia autumn winds – children pluck the faded hibiscus Aakanksha Tanwar, India autumn song . . . one last slow dance during leaf fall dappled light throughout the orchard almost ripe pears Angela Terry, USA rain song . . . the vibrato of tree frogs loosening catfish ending a dry spell the shoebill bows thunderheads . . . the oilbird in the bucket measures its fate R.C. Thomas, UK warm autumn breeze a seasoned couple’s comfort in silence crimson sunset . . . the susurration of sorrow through the aspens Corine Timmer, Portugal leaves fly everywhere a girl and her father laugh under the maple tree Vuelan hojas por todas partes una niña y su padre Ríen bajo el arce. Daniel Tommasi, Argentina longest night – the moon shines on a raven polishing its beak Xenia Tran, Scotland the weight of the full moon . . . chestnuts are rolling down from the hilltop woods težina punog mjeseca... kesteni se kotrljaju iz šume na brdu Silva Trstenjak, Croatia fallen leaves just a little less hope in the air first snow even the robin seems surprised blackbird in snow I search even deeper for meaning C.X. Turner, UK saying farewell the colors of autumn in full bloom Kevin Valentine, USA forgetting he already asked . . . autumn leaves Evan Vandermeer, USA stepping stones – somewhere in the mist a waterfall roars stapstenen ergens in de mist raast een Waterval Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands forest – the nests sprouting on the bare branches Šuma – na golim granama niču gnijezda Gordana Vlašić, Croatia autumn moon a stone whippet guards his grave silver mist settles through a mourning dove’s call autumn moon Marilyn Appl Walker, USA crumbling log – the pond’s reflection as still as my mind autumn again . . . a walk in the woods with a few old friends Michael Dylan Welch, USA a feather I cannot identify – fall migration Neal Whitman, USA turning pages of seven decades leaves brittle storm cloud how swift my shadow dwindles Scott Wiggerman, USA morning chill she lights a candle for company Tony Williams, Scotland, UK birds flown south left listening to myself the sound of October leaves struggling to let go Valorie Woerdehoff, USA hundred-year rain the waterfall’s roar enters my dream Susan Yavaniski, USA First Prize
fallen red cherry leaf – warmth of mother’s hand after her last breath 紅き桜葉おち臨終の母の手ぬくし akaki sakuraba ochi rinjū no haha no te nukushi Keiko Izawa, Japan This is a wonderfully poignant haiku, well deserving of this prize. Second Prize an empty corncrib cradling moonlight . . . the cold wind Susan Yavaniski, USA Beautifully poetic image and feeling. Third Prize forgotten in the scarecrow’s coat her baby picture John Pappas, USA A tenderly humorous and wistful haiku. Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order) moon islet holding a glimpse of a dream Joanna Ashwell, UK the second opinion same as the first autumn sky Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines moon glow – the rustle of dried grasses in the midnight breeze elehna de sousa, Canada harvest moon in the straw bowl the song of a cricket есенна луна в сламената купа песен на щурец Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria half moon wondering who I am yet to be Baisali Chatterjee Dutt, India fall twilight all the things that will never return crepuscolo d'autunno tutte le cose che non torneranno mai più Eufemia Griffo, Italy this brown moth too struggling to live – fall dusk Ruth Holzer, USA Distant sky seen from the sick bed geese migrating 病床のはるけき空を雁渡る Satoru Kanematsu, Japan leaf-bearing wind stops to let me know . . . everything passes Srini, India nuclear war – a scarecrow not a scarecrow anymore nuklearni rat – strašilo više nije strašilo Aljoša Vuković, Croatia Haiku Moment Award
spring drizzle becoming fluent in the language of birds Valorie Woerdehoff, USA This is a unique and poetic haiku moment, making it a prize-winning haiku. Runners-Up (In Alphabetical Order) walking in snowfall the lost moments of my passing life John Budan, USA A great metaphor for how all of nature withers. after the rain it sails into the unknown ant on the leaf nakon kiše plovi u nepoznato mrav na listu Zvonko Jurcevic, Croatia A deep poem on the impermanence of life. resting leaf – the lightness of mother’s hand Laurie D. Morrissey, USA A finely expressed sensitive haiku. Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order) drought . . . in the well of my house there is no moon siccità. . . nel pozzo di casa mia non c'è la luna Vincenzo Adamo, Italy peace agreement – out of the blue the plum trees full of flowers acord de pace – dintr-odată prunii se umplu de flori Cristina Valeria Apetrei, Romania distant thunder patting the last seed into the earth Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA meteor shower – the secrets I kept from you Mona Bedi, India lingering over the warm copper pan harvest moon Helen Buckingham, UK autumn again this stillness hanging Jenny Fraser, New Zealand even the smallest leaf connected Charles Harmon, USA in the after-rain every leaf in the garden and i breathing in Jill Lange, USA tamped into earth a fragile cutting homesickness pressata nella terra una fragile talea nostalgia di casa Luciana Moretto, Italy full moon I could walk across the lake on a strip of light Wilda Morris, USA luminescent sea all the little things we think we’ll remember Samantha Renda, South Africa |
Editorial Staff:
Founder (emeritus): Bruce Ross Editors: Astrid Andreescu Kristen Lindquist Art: Murray D. Ross Archives
May 2025
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