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C First Prize
cold air stray kittens lap the full moon from a puddle không khí lạnh lẽo những con mèo hoang liếm vầng trăng tròn trong vũng nước Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Vietnam This haiku is perhaps the most unique haiku I have encountered and well deserves the first prize. Second Prize hospice garden . . . understanding the way leaves fall Meera Rehm, UK The second prize winner provides a profound understanding of approaching death. Third Prize crabs move slowly through the cattails autumn night Carol Raisfeld, USA This is a deeply poetic nature haiku. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) evening pond a leaf falls onto the moon Jonathan Aylett, UK autumn rain I long for what is not mine Mona Bedi, India light trapped in a leaf autumn equinox Owen Bullock, Australia the road to my father’s grave autumn crocuses пътят към гроба на татко есенни минзухари Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria sweeping the darkness of a leaf strewn path harvest moon Ravi Kiran, India food bank closed an old man shuts the door on the harvest moon 食物銀行歇業 一位老人將豐收月 關在門外 Chen-ou Liu, Canada autumn deepens a clink of sadness in my wineglass Marietta McGregor, Australia fallen leaves we lay our warm skin on moonlight Ron C. Moss, Australia no reason to change one’s mind: autumn moon ourthomas, USA mourning moon we scatter mom’s ashes on the garden Nika, Canada scarlet maple an unknown infant’s grave outside the cemetery Agnes Eva Savich, USA flint corn – I’ll learn to live with the diagnosis Sandra Simpson, New Zealand hazelnut picking the child in a memory puts my hand to the moon Alan Summers, UK father’s ashes autumn wind scatters my thoughts Kevin Valentine, USA autumn moon i touch the stone laid for me Marilyn Appl Walker, USA October rain even the smallest potato feels precious Tony Williams, Scotland, UK harvest snails racing the moon Jann Wright, USA Haiku Moment Award
summer clouds the turtle pond surface full of dreams Agnes Eva Savich, USA A very subtle poetic metaphor. Runners-Up (in alphabetical order) for only seconds feeling eternity April sunrise Charles Harmon, USA A perfect haiku moment. winter light the permanence of longing Laurie D. Morrissey, USA Longing never ceases, beautifully expressed. all our hopes still within reach – daytime moon Scott Packer, Canada Light, despite the pandemic. A very deep haiku. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) summer stars folding a promise into the light Joanna Ashwell, UK deep into autumn . . . thinking about that moment when everything changed Ed Bremson, USA trails in the snow in each enough room for the moonlight stope u snijegu baš u svaku stane mjesečina Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia arms outstretched baby gathers in the harvest moon Ronald K. Craig, USA mom’s urn my cosmos in suspense урната на мама моят космос приземен Maya Daneva, Canada/Bulgaria climate change against all odds I plant seedlings Helen Ogden, USA last year’s struggles just one breath rights the bug Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan fireflies . . . all the dreams I’ve ever had kunang-kunang semua mimpi yang pernah kumiliki Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia the Milky Way above fails to bring you closer – my long walk home Michael Dylan Welch, USA Welcome to this Spring/Summer issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. As I noted previously, climate change has caused natural disasters, food shortages, diminishing wild natural spaces, while 2020 also brought the COVID pandemic which has continued to affect our lives for the past year. There may be hope with the vaccinations and reopening of businesses worldwide, although we still see devastation in some areas especially in India. Haiku poets in this issue are both addressing the ongoing pandemic and human adaptation to the restrictions, but also a hopeful tone is emerging, perhaps with the advent of spring blossoms. Haiku remains most important in its connection to nature and the capture of a moment of insight. Hopefully more and more we will see joy replacing sorrow this year. Bruce Ross, June 2021 a child in the park the anxiety of the mother on the swing un bimbo al parco – l’ansia della madre sull’altalena spring sun migrants dry their clothes on the barbed wire sole primaverile – i migrant ascugano i vestiti sul filo spinato Vincenzo Adamo, Italy happy birthday on the plant he gave me a swallowtail Dennise Aiello, USA birches budding sneezing together the cat and I Meg Arnot, UK Milwaukee summer across the dry cement duck prints صيفُ ملواكي على الاسمنت الجاف أقدامُ البط الذي عبَر Inas Asfari, USA/Syria singing bowl a bluebird learns her grandma’s song hopscotch skipping home through a spring shower Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA summer stars folding a promise into the light Joanna Ashwell, UK august light in the field your pale hand showing me feverfew Michael Battisto, USA lone ridge a crow and i share a dawn hilltop road a view, far enough from demands Michael Baeyens, Belgium low tide a hatchling turtle stretches its neck Tom Bierovic, USA spoonbill in flight this longing to get away Meik Blöttenberger, USA wildflower garden one long shadow across the sundial curled ferns ready to open the hymnal Maxianne Berger, Canada a robin cocks his head to listen worm moon canna lily blossoms open to hummingbird beaks late summer Nancy Brady, USA icicles melting onto a tin roof a robin’s return John Budan, USA a crow lands in my perfect composition painting en plein air listening for what’s true bee chorus in the chocolate flowers Alanna C. Burke, USA bee on tulip in the rising sun . . . first love un’ ape sul tulipano al sorgere del sole . . . primo amore daffodils in bloom a girl in the sun reading his email giunchiglie in fiore una ragazza al sole legge la sua mail Mariangela Canzi, Italy leaving the road for a new path . . . wild irises lasciare la strada per un nuovo sentiero . . . iris selvatici Lucia Cardillo, Italy spring birdsong the shut-in finds a clip on her iPhone rivulet of blossoms the journey home Matthew Caretti, USA a robin hops I am three holding Mother’s hand slowing – toward that day the rose blooms Louise Carson, Canada backyard garden beyond the celery cats mating basmati rice soaking in an antique bowl . . . tranquility Anna Cates, USA warm spring day – watched clouds pass by instead of my life Vernon Chain, USA lilac blush under the window sill graduation day pemerah pipi bawah ambang tingkap pengijazahan 卒業日窓の外にはライラック Christina Chin, Malaysia bent daffodils an old man leans on his cane forgive my hurried steps lady slipper Sue Colpitts, Canada yard sale goods laid out to view a life lived on the patio coffee with birdsong and raccoon Vera Constantineau, Canada alone with gulls and the call of the wind summer drifter an eaglet on the edge first flight Susan Constable, Canada her death the contour lines of a calla lily la sua morte le linee di contorno di una calla letting go of everything spring wind lasciando andare ciò che vuole andare vento di primavera Maria Concetta Conti, Italy spring showers a Buddhist monk rescues worms springtime snow on daffodils Bryan Cook, Canada setting aside the rose-colored plates farm auction Bill Cooper, USA sailing through a field of stars fireflies in June Ronald K. Craig, USA new rattle the baby moves . . . his feet ah, those first times nouveau hochet le bébé bouge . . . les pieds ah, ces premières fois her soap bubbles travel up into the sky her coat soon too tight ses bulles de savon montent jusqu’au ciel son manteau bientôt trop étroit Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium sultry day . . . a catbird carries the conversation Risë E. Daniels, USA wind of May Day the lily of the valley does as it pleases premier mai dans le vent le muguet fait ce qu’il lui plait Marie Derley, Belgium summer harvest birds devour the figs without warning Carmela Dolce, USA on the armchair the shadows of clouds back and forth sulla poltrona le ombre delle nuvole vanno e vengano Anna Maria Domburg-Sancristoforo, The Netherlands/Italy another encore on the way to the cemetery plum petals rain още един бис по пътя за гробището дъжд от цветовете на сливата empty pipe in the old fisherman’s boat thunder moon празна лула в лодката на стария рибар пълнолуние Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria pink moon – my childhood drawing so accurate luna roz – desenul din copilărie chiar realist Ana Drobot, Romania Mizuki We eat the rice dumplings Waiting for night Miriam Dunn, Canada winding-down yard sale the Virgin and Buddha statues now a package deal John J. Dunphy, USA after rain – the last reverence of the irises după ploaie – ultima reverenţă a stânjeneilor summer night – in the lavender field cricket song noapte de vară – în câmpul de lavandă cântec de greier Carmen Duvalma, Romania moonlight will do… sunflower David Käwika Eyre, USA spring equinox finding the other half of the haiku Seren Fargo, USA Good Friday a cardinal calls from the bare sycamore Susan Farner, USA honeysuckle breeze . . . a barn swallow in mid air mountain ridge coywolf’s breath as it pauses Donna Fleischer, USA long lockdown . . . magpies in the schoolyard sing their song of joy lingering heat – a greengrocer cicada’s late serenade Lorin Ford, Australia a tiny feather at my feet i leave it for the wind Jenny Fraser, New Zealand in the puddle a tree resounds with light Alex Fyffe, USA oak woods a woodpecker arranges the night silence hrastova šuma... djetlić raspoređuje noćnu tišinu храстова шума... дјетлић распоређује ноћну тишину late spring . . . a spider weaves silence in the moonlight kasno proljeće... pauk pod mjesečinom plete tišinu касно прољеће... паук под мјесечином плете тишину Ivan Gaćina, Croatia another bourbon – awake with me, this moonlit slug Joshua Gage, USA early spring – mockingbird’s song in the cobwebs spring breeze – resonance of bees in the rosemary Jerome Gagnon, USA they make their nest deep inside the house – spring. Hacen su nido muy dentro de la casa. La primavera. quietly today that glow of flamboyants. Calladamente hoy ese resplandor de flamboyanes. Rafael Garcìa Bidò, Dominican Republic What a light In the blossom tree The moon Ava Gardiner, New Zealand falling in love . . . the way the peony takes a butterfly zaljubiti se... način na koji božur prima leptira Goran Gatalica, Croatia not a breeze an owl hoots at the full moon brise disparue – un hibou s’adresse à la pleine lune Line Gauthier, Canada Waiting room I name all the fishes In the aquarium Poczekalnia Nadaję imiona wszystkim rybkom W akwarium Lockdown Freely twinkling Of stars Lockdown Swobodne migotanie Gwiazd Anna Goluba, Poland nothing then a puffin to take the breath away evening blues blackbirds fall into line along the corncrib LeRoy Gorman, Canada new moon the boys count and recount lightning bugs sundown – this river flows slower than thirty years ago John S Green, USA red and white bobbins swinging from tree branches – the old fishing hole Steven H. Greene, USA for only seconds feeling eternity April sunrise midnight waves riding a pearl moon body surfer Charles Harmon, USA rising moon the lake ripples in and out David He, China first bouquet of sweet peas – her smile at the door top step on a shaky ladder – sun-warmed peaches Karin Hedetniemi, Canada early spring the drift of wood smoke guiding me home Good Friday sprouting in the basement spring bulbs spring break . . . a robin watches her young fall into flight Marilyn Henighan, Canada cherry petals float on the tide how far will they go? shio ni ukabu sakurabana ikada doko made desho 潮に浮かぶ 桜花筏 何処迄でしょー seagulls wander the mud flats low spring tide umi neko higata o urutsu higanshio 海猫 干潟を得るつ 彼岸潮 Judith Hishikawa, USA finding the right pitch pine wind Jeff Hoagland, USA spring equinox – tilting my head a little toward the light no one else here on this hilltop – geese flying north Ruth Holzer, USA dark faces of the sheep spring snow southbound along the train tracks butterflies Frank Hooven, USA mist rising from the river the call of a bull moose bergs clogging the shallows spring breakup homebound guided by rooftops nest after nest Louisa Howerow, Canada spring cleaning the echo of a church bell comes with the wind пролетно почистване ехо от църковна камбана донесено от вятъра pandemic year the higabana bloomed in spring пандемия хиганбаната цъфна през пролетта Vladislav Hristov, Bulgaria does love thy neighbor include the wolves, hummingbirds and eucalypti? Pat Hull, USA moon bridge – the pathway over rivers of stars moonlit night brumbies splashing through shallows Marilyn Humbert, Australia heavy with blossom the lilac branch closer to the ground bătută de flori creanga liliacului mai aproape de pământ Mona Iordan, Romania crescent moon dusk yet to sharpen the stars skimming the near-earth air three swallows beneath the tree a deepening of fallen petals Erica Ison, UK half-open eyed Buddha looks at me looking at him Lakshmi Iyer, India cricket frog – leaping from a lily pad . . . to the moon scattered clouds . . . a cormorant comes up for air flying fish in the company of clouds koinobori* *carp streamers Rick Jackofsky, USA A caterpillar in front of the mountain – So far to go Une chenille devant la montagne – Si loin pour s’y rendre Liette Janelle, Canada locust buds do not yet hide the sparrow Julie Allyn Johnson, USA The fountain turns quiet abruptly – a pigeon’s coo 噴水のはたと鎮まり鳩の声 Funsui no hatato shizumari hato no koe Repeatedly the fountain touches daytime moon 噴水のときおり触るる昼の月 Funsui no tokiori fururu hiru no tsuki Satoru Kanematsu, Japan haiku in chalk – the typos too will wash away Skylar Kay, Canada with mask the journey of a toad to water Mit Maske Die Reise einer Kröte zum Wasser Deborah Karl-Brandt, Germany a blustery day swaying back and forth the lark’s song David J Kelly, Ireland a pocket full of small change . . . spring rain Bill Kenney, USA April snow tiny daffodils turn from the window kjmunro, Canada acorn footpath woodpeckers tapping in the oak forest Deborah P Kolodji, USA sprouted wheatgrass white heron leaves the ground against the wind izniklo žito diže se bijela čaplja nasuprot vjetru Nina Kovačić, Croatia cathedral bell the pigeons return after services Jeff Kressmann, USA shop window today’s special offer a rainbow sčiščena okna med ponudbo v izložbi drobci mavrice Samo Kreutz, Slovenia sharing morning rain with robins twilight by the marsh spring peepers Jill Lange, USA In the forest a Huia* dreams of the moon *A Huia is an extinct NZ native bird Alfie Lash, age 7, New Zealand full moon within the raindrop falling from a leaf crickets chirping below the silence of the moon Luke Levi, USA Clouds, the soft white of dogwood petals – a mindful walk Rebecca Lilly, USA an oriole curls around apple buds high noon April sky . . . amid last year’s leaves a jay feather Kristen Lindquist, USA old age home once in a while the sound of footsteps 養老院 偶爾聽到 腳步聲 spike in cases the muezzin’s call more distant 更多的新病例 穆斯林宣禮員的召喚聲 更加遙遠 Chen-ou Liu, Canada making wishes on dandelions potter’s field Gregory Longenecker, USA crescent moon . . . on night sky I search for Venus Margaret Mahony, Australia flower seeds looking for god into myself semi di un fiore cercando un dio dentro me stessa Carmela Marino, Italy old beached hull still buoying up this flower moon Marietta McGregor, Australia End of summer Siesta* with humming cicadas and tereré* *siesta: early, warmest afternoon hours *Tereré: cool, refreshing drink made of yerba mate (ilex paraguayensis) Fin del verano La siesta con cigarras y tereré Lía Miersch, Argentina over the marsh the shadow of a white crane sliding lightly peste mlaştină umbra unui cocor alb alunecând uşor flying at night – a flock of wild geese above the airport zbor de noapte – stol de gâşte sălbatice peste aeroport Vasile Moldovan, Romania dry lightning every summer this game of chance Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA late Spring seeing through the forest one last time fin du printemps un dernier regard à travers la forêt Mike Montreuil, Canada (French translation: Maxianne Berger) hospice garden the forget-me-nots in full bloom sunning herself in my fairy garden neighbor’s cat windy day the cherry blossoms fill sidewalk cracks Joanne Morcom, Canada clumps of clover the symbolic leaf . . . end of pandemic ciuffi di trifoglio la foglia simbolica . . . fine della pandemia Luciana Moretto, Italy rainbow – wondering if the robin sees it Wilda Morris, USA spring trail ride my pony makes some of the decisions summer blooms – the lovely Latin of their names Laurie D. Morrissey, USA visiting civil war trenches summer grass Tim Murphy, Spain/Ireland rainbow I remember again gökkuşağı hatırlıyorum yine Guliz Mutlu, Turkey summer garden, my cat playing with the moon Tom Nalder, New Zealand years from the ashram I pick my way over the rocky beach Peter Newton, USA spring thaw . . . sparrows stuff their nest with sweater yarn Nika, Canada spring morning the gifts of stillness wrapped in song climate change against all odds I plant seedlings morning meadow yet another layer of birdsong Helen Ogden, USA have you blossomed since my last time on this path – star clematis bush? Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland shining lake – a distant loon calls my other name trailer park – all of the haiku quiet our thomas, USA all our hopes still within reach – daytime moon apple blossoms open one by one the road unknown Scott Packer, Canada moving clouds even now standing so still that tree afar oblaci se kreću i dalje stoji tako mirno ono daleko stablo Dejan Pavlinović, Croatia light breeze – the wave of poppies reddens the sky brezza leggera – l’onda dei papaveri arrossa il cielo dew – the color of dawn in a rose rugiada – il colore dell’ alba in una rosa Maria Teresa Piras, Italy a new dream the sun among the cherry trees suddenly un nuovo sogno il sole tra i ciliegi all’ improvviso the last words of our meeting leaves in the wind le ultime parole del nostro incontro foglie al vento Cinzia Pitingaro, Italy way home – gently hold the puppy miner’s hands дорога домой – бережно держат щенка руки шахтёра Philmore Place, Belarus missing color on painter’s palette – spring green couleur manquante sur la palette du peintre – vert printemps Nicole Pottier, France early summer ducks in pairs, webbed feet opening and closing soaking up late summer sunshine a ceramic frog Patricia Prime, New Zealand almost summer through an open door the scent of earth morning dew fresh paw prints follow the sparrow’s song Carol Raisfeld, USA the moment that indigo turns to black first star two children in raincoats and boots a puddle blowhole at the edge of the sea the silence between Dian Duchin Reed, USA Koels call on cue Spring first night of Summer the deafening drum of cicadas golden wattle in full bloom winter blues end Carol Reynolds, Australia planting flowers . . . on the kitchen table my dark mask discussing graffiti on the sides of train cars spring sunshine 4th of July the darkening sky of the pandemic Edward J. Rielly, USA summer sun setting in my lap Joan Marie Roberts, Canada bright lilacs . . . bird seed on the sill of an open window home from the meadow my son draws us as blue horses wildfire – the horse given water from a cowboy hat Chad Lee Robinson, USA radio says rain – yet the sun is trailing me in every room before its tracks dry the red salamander slides into the water Sydell Rosenberg, USA piercing the fog black eyes of a barred owl turn my way no backstory among the willows a lone elk cow Aron Rothstein, USA backwater twilight a skipping pebble ripples the colours too far for the contagion to catch haze-masked moon summer breeze . . . the fragrant rain of neem flowers Srinivas S, India reading the tao te ching – a breeze through the window turns the next page Dan Salontai, USA Buddha’s birthday a cow licks all over the newborn calf morning tea a little sparrow drops into our talk Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India a hillside shifts shape spring rain Bona M. Santos, USA sometimes a stick is a snake river trail summer clouds the turtle pond’s surface full of dreams Agnes Eva Savich, USA call for prayer . . . the dandelion seeds drifting panggilan azan . . . biji-biji bunga jombang* berderai-derai *tanaman jombang (Taraxacum officinale) I wash my face moonlight sinking between the wet pebbles kubasuh muka cahaya bulan karam diantara kerikil basah spring rain . . . in an umbrella I shelter from thought shower hujan turun . . . di bawah payung aku berlindung dari guyuran pikiran Ken Sawitri, Indonesia a flycatcher chasing moon-bleached wings summer’s end Julie Schwerin, USA handmade doily wily spider works his way out Ron Scully, USA idle summer day in Buddha’s lap a cat dreams Richa Sharma, India places to go a row of weeping cherries slows me down Adelaide Shaw, USA the crow stretching out her wings morning meditation Ted Sherman, UK Under cherry blossoms walking side by side at the same pace 寄り添へば同じ歩幅に花の下 Yorisoe ba onaji hohaba ni hana no shita Fallen peony petals still spread the scent over the ground 散りてなほ地に香をひろぐ牡丹かな tirite nao chi ni ka o hirogu botan kana Kyoko Shimizu, Japan waving grass of the meadow kite in my bag разлюляна тревата на ливадата хвърчило в чантата ми fragrance of the white sand lilies alone by the sea аромат на бели пясъчни лилии сама край морето Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria Calm sea, the greenery of a rock among the foam. Mar en calma, el verdor de una roca entre la espuma. At dawn . . . the first shower of spring. Al amanecer . . . el primer chubasco de primavera. Leticia Sicilia, Spain prognosis – spring colours in the pillbox Neena Singh, India raindrop – a glimpse of what’s to come kap kiše – nagovještaj onoga što dolazi moonlight the hedgehog ignores no trespassing sign mjesečina jež ne mari za znak zabranjen prolaz Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro pollen clouds the meadow threaded with butterflies Debbie Strange, Canada The face of spring – the ruined wall full of ivy Chipul primăverii – zidul ruinat plin de iederă Vigils of Easter . . . two doves on the spire listen to the liturgy Deniile . . . doi porumbei pe turlă ascultă liturghia Constantin Stroe, Romania drifting on the spring breeze . . . children’s laughter terbawa bersama semilir angin musim semi . . . tawa anak-anak fireflies . . . all the dreams I’ve ever had kunang-kunang semua mimpi yang pernah kumiliki Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia windowsill . . . tulips in a pot waiting for spring перваз на прозорец… лалета в саксии чакат пролетта Diana Teneva, Bulgaria in fragments across the melting pond the spring moon Angela Terry, USA white clouds in the sky – ready to bloom the old cherry nori albi pe cer – gata să înflorească cireşul bătrân granny on the porch several cries in the cherry with ripe fruits bunica în verandă – strigăte în cireşul cu fructe coapte clear night – girls making wreaths of yellow bedstraw noapte senină – fete împletind cununi din sânziene Maria Tirenescu, Romania grandpa’s lazybed his potatoes still grow in the corner spring snow lighting a fire to write about the old days cherry blossom an old pen fills with ink Xenia Tran, Scotland leap of a trout spring rain resurrects the river swamp thistle rival hummingbirds battle for nectar bait bucket reaching into the moon for a minnow Kevin Valentine, USA spring cold snap even the moon is snowbound Mary Vlooswyk, Canada lavender in bloom – my garden filling with sky lavanda în floare – grădina mea se umple de cer Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania spring rain the scent of the forest touching the clouds icicles on the cross melting into my husband’s grave Althea Rowe Watson, USA love done – the skipped stone disappears into fog the Milky Way above fails to bring you closer – my long walk home Michael Dylan Welch, USA crabapple branches blown bare again in March wind Feral bee hive The whole earth humming beneath our feet Allyson Whipple, USA spring sunflecks all those moments of insight Kath Abela Wilson, USA along a lake on a long slow day a lonely swan wzdłuż jeziora w długi wolny dzień samotny łabędź venturing into the impossible oriole’s voice odważ się na niemożliwe głos wilgi the sun forces forsythias to bloom a cold snap słońce zmusza forsycje do kwitnienia ukłucie zimna Ernest Wit, Poland spring rain the capricious pattering a toddler’s first steps Robert Witmer, Japan burying mother in a pandemic the space between Valorie Woerdehoff, USA Welcome to this Fall/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. Very recently, people around the world have noticed climate change as manifested in the destruction of natural spaces on Earth and produced by human activity and population growth. According to the well-known British naturalist David Attenborough, wild natural spaces are diminishing. There is an increase in hurricanes and wildfires around the globe, and resulting destruction of human living space. This year has also brought a pandemic of COVID virus and resulting undermining of many important social activities as some of the haiku poets in this current issue have addressed. Also in this current issue, there are many excellent haiku addressing mortality and impermanence, a number of them with philosophic undertones. A recent documentary on the well-known beautiful Australian coral reefs by an oceanographer wondered about the recent dying of some of these coral reefs. What he discovered was that the reefs depended upon the soundscapes that were near them. He therefore recorded that soundscape in its various sections and played them near the dying coral reefs. The result was that these reefs revived and looked as beautiful as they were before. As for flowers, which are cherished by humans for their beauty, in Japan from the beginning of haiku, dictionaries were formulated to record the seasonal growth of the natural world. The haiku itself was formulated upon the poets’ appreciation and sense of such particular beauty. Bruce Ross, December 2020 autumn trees – the village market on its off day àwọn igi ẹ̀rùn – ọjà abúlé náà ní ọjọ́ kòfo Oluwasegun Oluseyi Adesina, Nigeria wind again . . . alchechengi lantern on my doorstep ancora vento . . . lanterna di alchechengi sulla mia soglia Elisa Allo, Switzerland kaleidoscope the clink of autumn colors settling in place an’ya, USA lockdown the face of the moon still shining carantină chipul lunii încă sclipind Cristina Apetrei, Romania twilight tracks from the homeless shelter hunger moon western wind rearranging the pattern fallen leaves Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA unraked leaves – life on the verge of annihilation غیر مجتمع پتے - زندگی فنا ہونے کے قریب Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan deep winter the intimacy of stars there in this silence with leaves Joanna Ashwell, UK autumn eve swans glide into the moon Susan B. Auld, USA windstorm . . . a soutane hanging on a minaret ìjì ńlá . . . sùtánà sokọ́ sóri asóró autumn wind . . . an olive tree falls by half atẹ́gùn ọyẹ́ . . . igi ólífì ṣubú dá méjì rustling leaves – the intermittent sound of father’s newspaper rírún ewé – dídún ní lemọ́lemọ́ ìwe ́ìròyìn bàbá Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawi), Nigeria Foggy autumn day a piece of colorful dress hanging on barbed wire Jesen u magli na bodljikavoj žici šarena krpa Katica Badovinac, Croatia cancer erasing the color of his skin autumn’s end R.D. Bailey, Jamaica autumn loneliness . . . the old scarecrow a good listener Saumya Bansal, India rain dropping all pretense Aaron Barry, Canada I want to learn the thoughts of fireflies in the September dusk Michael Battisto, USA Lauds through the abbey windows black-capped chickadees trimming beans I count my blessings Maxianne Berger, Canada dark grass on the spider’s web frost hardens dunkles Gras auf dem Spinnennetz härtet Frost aus Bisshie, Switzerland gnarly tree the apples are small and crooked yet so, so sweet knorriger Baum die Äpfel sind klein und krumm doch so, so süss Benjamin Blaesi, Switzerland frozen bog the only sound on the mountain E.L Blizzard, USA harvest time – singing in the sun a local herb seller Meik Blöttenberger, USA deep into autumn . . . thinking about that moment when everything changed Ed Bremson, USA snow field a scarecrow salutes the wind Alanna C. Burke, USA sudden thunder . . . jumping here and there pomegranate grains tuono improvviso . . . schizzano di qua e di là chicchi di melograno quiet chattering of yellowed leaves . . . empty benches chiacchiericcio di foglie ingiallite . . . panchine vuote Lucia Cardillo, Italy knowing how clouds move along mountains this place called home cicadas become september rain Matthew Caretti, USA a dream I want to remember morning’s chai tea the heavens . . . a wild pony . . . nodding Anna Cates, USA trails in the snow in each enough room for the moonlight stope u snijegu baš u svaku stane mjesečina Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia on this night i truly travel alone – snow falling dreary sky – one of us needs to cheer up – winter clouds Vernon Chain, USA from next room the muted sound of bangles . . . hazy moon Kanchan Chatterjee, India mountain cabin the sound of winter approaching Hemapriya Chellappan, India farewell gift on the old maple tree first red leaf pożegnalny dar pierwszy czerwony liść na starym klonie Autumn drizzle twitches of the horse’s ears shake off the droplets jesienna mżawka drganie końskich uszu strząsa kropelki Marta Chociłowska, Poland a bright spark wanders in her eyes harvest moon jasna iskra wędruje w jej oczach jesienna pełnia Sebastian Chrobak, Poland where the mulberry’s fruit have been . . . autumn martin gottlieb cohen, USA away, wild geese we’ve stayed too long in autumn autumn moon the grasshopper left by the harvester autumn sunset holding its fading red corn poppies Sue Colpitts, Canada barefoot waiting for a spider to leave the stepping stone a horse trailer with one board missing red leaves Bill Cooper, USA Full moon rising . . . Down to the last page the book keeps its secret Aufgehender Vollmond . . . Bis zur letzten Seite wahrt das Buch sein Geheimnis Beate Conrad, Germany autumn equinox just enough breeze to turn a page Canada geese the way they divide an autumn sky Susan Constable, Canada full moon all that’s left ash and urn Vera Constantineau, Canada me and the silence the last leaf is about to fall io e il silenzio l’ultima foglia sta per cadere a certainty of finding nothing sudden storm la certezza di non trovare nulla temporale improvviso Maria Concetta Conti, Italy arms outstretched baby gathers in the harvest moon I awoke and knew the snow was falling a lightness of heart Ronald K. Craig, USA white moon – my restless desire to explore beyond Anne Louise Curran, New Zealand mom’s urn my cosmos in suspense урната на мама моят космос приземен Maya Daneva, Canada/Bulgaria autumn lockdown a family gathering of mushrooms Tracy Davidson, UK forest ferns brushed by moonlight . . . the drizzle of autumn rain descent into darkness . . . the last bigleaf maple falls to the ground elehna de sousa, Canada first logs in the hearth the sound of cicadas premières bûches dans l’âtre le son des cigales watching Malevich’s white square silently regarder le carré de Malevich en silence chocolate money at thirty bucks I stop – night of quarantine euros en chocolat à trente balles j’arrête – soir de quarantaine Marie Derley, Belgium late winter . . . a light rain wets the roses fine inverno . . . una pioggia sottile bagna le rose Rosa Maria Di Salvatore, Italy far peak a tad of snow glints on, glints off impossible to count all the falling yellow leaves six parrots in the elm Jan Dobb, Australia in a wolf’s eyes trapped in the cage – the autumn moon U očima vuka zarobljen u kavezu – jesenji mesec Zoran Doderović, Serbia rustling leaves my joints grow a little stiffer Carmela Dolce, USA end of summer in the old caravan remain only the stars края на лятото в старата каравана остават само звездите Radostina A. Dragostinova, Bulgaria warm colours in the old photo – autumn culori calde în fotografia veche – toamna autumn moon – my first ink painting luna de toamnă – prima mea pictură în cerneală Ana Drobot, Romania meditation garden Buddha’s statue rings from a fallen acorn John J. Dunphy, USA loneliness – through the closed window an autumn message singurătate – prin fereastra închisă mesaj de toamnă melancholy – under golden leaves crickets’ song melancolie – sub frunzele de aur cântec de greieri Carmen Duvalma, Romania moonlight hallelujah hallelujah David Käwika Eyre, USA their argument more like music juncos Seren Fargo, USA a crow calls through the mist autumn chill Susan Farmer, USA autumn mourning inside my hands words left unsaid Marisa Fazio, Australia the buck and I share the same moon autumn path Bruce H. Feingold, USA arbor moon the last grape on the vine scattered farms connected by a crow Jeffrey Ferrara, USA wind sweeping leaves from the pavement leftover cough wiatr zmiata liście z chodnika pozostał kaszel Agnieszka Filipek, Ireland/Poland full moon I am here and you are there together pełnia księżyca ja tu a ty tam razem full moon did my daughters turn off the bedside lamps? pełnia księżyca czy moje córki zgasiły nocne lampki? in deep silence . . . over my grandmother’s grave autumn butterfly głęboka cisza nad grobem mojej babci jesienny motyl cold morning in the newspaper my professor’s obituary chłód w porannej gazecie nekrolog mojego profesora Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland wind chimes – hanging patiently indoors B.A. France, USA her gold rimmed fan – autumn light falls through a blackbird’s wing Sunday winter noon I slip into grace Jenny Fraser, New Zealand setting sun i brush the leaves off her headstone Jay Friedenberg, USA November just a mistletoe left on a birch tree studeni na brezi ostala tek imela Željko Funda, Croatia ice moon i become the silence of the pond moonrise the white tops of toadstools Ben Gaa, USA crickets . . . leaf by leaf, the evening shadows Joshua Gage, USA sheltering in place on a bed of pine needles – sleeping kitten Jerome Gagnon, USA winter beach this young man’s dreams gone with the wind William Scott Galasso, USA fuchsia petals hanging on for first frost that time of year – the sycamore leaves teased into colour Mike Gallagher, Ireland autumn night – where the street ends oh fireflies noche de otoño – donde acaba la calle oh cucubanos fall rain – in the pine forest the old house lluvia de otoño – en el bosque de pinos la casa vieja an acorn is what I found – winter field una bellota es lo que he encontrado – campo invernal Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic His name Still engraved so deeply . . . Dandelion in the wind Jego imię Wciąż wyryte tak głęboko... Dmuchawiec na wietrze Anna Goluba, Poland she takes another anxiety pill to sleep frost moon John S Green, USA rescuer’s hand in the autumn sky earthquake rubble güz semasında kurtarıcının eli deprem enkazı Engin Gülez, Turkey autumn sunshine walking through the maple leaves Dorna Hainds, USA autumn breeze turning through the leaves the last butterfly autumn sunset so difficult to write about happiness late autumn frost spider webs string together a necklace of stars John Hawkhead, UK corn moon a cobbled path to the harvest Diane Allen Hemingway, USA momentary snow feathers on the skylight isshun yuki no hane tenmado ni 一瞬 雪の羽 天窓に aluminum pie pans still scare the crows empty cornfield arumi paipan mada carasu o odokasu kara no tomorokoshibatake アルミ パイパン まだ 烏 を 脅かす 空 の ともろこし畑 Judith Hishikawa, USA becoming the wind starlings Jeff Hoagland, USA autumn sky a green leaf cradled on the streambed Frank Hooven, USA still dawn a kayaker’s paddle swirls fog outside my window a spider weaves gold winter sun Louise Hopewell, Australia beyond my window Sirius tracks down the moon covid isolation crowded mall shoppers eyes smiling behind masks fallen leaves crackle on the track covid restrictions ease water runnels over mossy stones the silence Marilyn Humbert, Australia autumn moon testing the thickness of cloud cover above a swathe of low-lying mist the morning star Erica Ison, UK stormy sea – into the old lighthouse only the full moon mare-n furtună – în vechiul far mai urcă doar luna plină Dan Iulian, Romania autumn diary the weight of her old age in her loneliness Lakshmi Iyer, India drifting by the autumn moon a red canoe sprouting from leafless branches blackbirds Rick Jackofsky, USA keeping up with the stars skipping stones Elmedin Kadric, Sweden Sharing a night the light switched off with crickets 灯を消してちちろと夜を共にせり hi wo keshite chichiro to yoru o tomoni seri Evening rain not enough to quell insects’ voices 虫の声鎮めぬほどの雨の夕 mushi no koe shizumenu hodo no ame no yu Satoru Kanematsu, Japan fresh cement – the fallen leaf falling forever autumn wind – did you get stronger since last year? Skylar Kay, Canada dead end where the woods begin beads of rain on a leafless branch my morning prayer Bill Kenney, USA hot day in autumn one turkey vulture soaring above another forest morning spots on a fawn not yet faded regarding the bird through its shadow autumn ramble Craig Kittner, USA harvest moon twisting half a peach from its stone ice crystals the swaying of pine trees in low winter sun winter hike – the smell of woodsmoke at trail’s end kjmunro, Canada As the days grow short And the rush of man persists The yellow leaf falls Dani prolaze Ljudska žurba nastavlja Žuti list je pao Valentino Klarić, Croatia city lights from separate hilltops you and I storm front the way your voice quivers when you care winter grave a handful of frozen carnations Deborah P Kolodji, USA autumn moonlight – a homeless man falls asleep on his own shadow jesienny blask księżyca – bezdomny zasypia na własnym cieniu Marek Kozubek, Poland deepening sky each falling leaf adding blue winter bus stop the breaths of strangers one cloud autumn dusk just enough light to see geese cross the sky Jeff Kressman, USA huge house not high enough to stop a leaf in the wind listič med letom niti ogromna zgradba ga ne zaustavi snowy path I pause to inhale the tranquility zasnežena pot nebrzdano vdihujem spokojnost sveta Samo Kreutz, Slovenia autumn caressed by the sun the last rose jesen suncem pomilovana zadnja ruža Gordana Kurtović, Croatia acorn caps – she counts her collection into the honey jar grandfather’s armchair facing the backyard . . . winter nesting Barrie Levine, USA January thaw . . . a mallard sails free of an eddy Kristen Lindquist, USA window display the blush of autumn sunset on her masked face 櫥窗陳列 在她戴面罩的臉上 秋天的夕陽紅 a tow truck pulling another first snowfall 一輛拖車 費力拖著另一輛 首次降雪 Chen-ou Liu, Canada will I still be here when next spring comes reddening leaves Amy Losack, USA under the roof the swallows nest filled – a family of sparrows spodi krova gnezdo laste spunila – obitel vrapcov pod krovom lastino gnijezdo popunila – obitelj vrabaca Vladimir Ludvig, Croatia late rise . . . the moon above the prison wall Ajaya Mahala, India still remembering childhood homecoming grandma’s chestnuts crackling ainda me lembro regresso a casa da infância as castanhas da avó a crepitar Mónica Margaride, Portugal how much the earth still to be trampled on? autumn clouds quanta la terra ancora da calpestare? nubi d'autunno Carmela Marino, Italy Midnight On my horse’s back The autumn moon Amy Marshall, New Zealand acorn caps for cups her first tea Scott Mason, USA The mice, Circumspect in their searching, A perfect moonlight Trelise McEwan, New Zealand unusually late outside with the neighbors as a comet blazes Robin Mayhall, USA Fireworks An old war veteran hugs his dog Fuegos de artificio Un viejo veterano de guerra abraza a su perro Lía Miersch, Argentina scarlet firethorn . . . the fluted notes of the hermit thrush street market all the colours of autumn in the pumpkin-seller’s stall Mark Miller, Australia late autumn – a golden leaf on the wedding ring toamnă târzie – o frunză aurie pe verighetă Mihai Moldoveanu – Mirco, Romania October light everywhere ghost pumpkins colorless nights no longer hearing the insects cry Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA harvest fair corn dollies for sale arms beckoning Joanne Morcom, Canada turning up the collar of my quilted jacket . . . low hangs the moon alzo il bavero della giacca imbottita pende bassa la luna Luciana Moretto, Italy winter light the permanence of longing last year’s fruit weighted by snow winter robins Laurie D. Morrissey, USA autumn migration a whale fluke enters the rising moon Ron Moss, Australia the sound of the treadle from Nonna’s sewing machine autumn rain Angela Naccarato, Canada hunter’s moon on the widow’s porch a stray tom Nika, Canada autumn hill – a monk tears another page in his diary Òkè ìgbà ìwọ́wé – Àlùfáà jà awẹ́ míràn nínú ìwé-iranti Tolulope Ogedengbe, Nigeria emptiness can be divided winter plovers our thomas, USA frozen creek a memory lingers on the kissing bridge Roland Packer, Canada dirt road drive drenched in silence – autumn moon midnight frost upon the prairie grass the endless starlight magpies pick the last red tree fruit – harvest moon Scott Packer, Canada clear cut a woodpecker forages sideways Lorraine A. Padden, USA my soft footfalls on the library floor Mid-October Melissa Patterson, USA grave visiting a dash separates the same dates posjet groblju crtica razdvaja iste datume Sanela Pliško, Croatia behind the mountain the moon slowly disappears – monk deep in prayer derrière la montagne la lune s’évanouit lentement – moine en prière Nicole Pottier, France equinox sun . . . an orb-weaver reaches its centre haul y gyhydnos… y corryn yn cyrraedd canol y we clifftop path my breath a breeze from here to there Thomas Powell, Wales my need to meditate autumn moon evening silence the autumn moon closer than ever Patricia Prime, New Zealand across the field pieces of scarecrow spin in the wind autumn chill the fly dressed in spider silk Carol Raisfeld, USA growing day by day your absence . . . scent of drying leaves Milan Rajkumar, India brown dragonfly on a dried grass stem autumn begins Dian Duchin Reed, USA raking leaves my neighbor and I wave keeping our distance winter whiteout not seeing where we’re going where we have been silence before the snowstorm deepening Edward J. Rielly, USA autumn is passing – all is said in a letter that does not arrive jesen odmiče – u pismu što ne stiže sve je rečeno Dragan Ristić, Serbia tender moon a threadbare butterfly in baby’s cradle Cynthia Rowe, Australia COVID coexistence – to wash and disinfect full harvest moon suživot s koronavirusom - oprati i dezinficirati puni jesenji mjesec Đurđa Vukelić Rožić, Croatia a great log in the river rolls over . . . autumn moon Timothy Russell, USA autumn full moon a child wonders why it doesn’t fall rustle of leaves . . . no point remembering the old songs Srinivas S, India crow’s footprints the wind slowly shifts the sand in the fall the weight of a raindrop Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India mid-day sun winter mountains unravel slowly Bona M. Santos, USA day moon deep in the milkweed monarch eggs Agnes Eva Savich, USA definite darkness . . . the porch light’s swaying to uncertain direction gelap pekat ... lampu beranda berayun arah tak tentu Ken Sawitri, Indonesia falling leaf . . . for the briefest moment it soars Greg Schwartz, USA row of hayrounds the one that lifts into the night sky covering her perennials against the frost All Saint’s Day Julie Schwerin, USA blessings in mother’s smile – Dashain festival* *national Nepalese autumn festival celebrated by receiving blessings from elders winter dusk . . . the fading sound of temple bells Manoj Sharma, Nepal west to east this autumn moon an enso Lakshmi Sheth, Dubai A full moon lighting every house on the zenith どの家も照らす満月天心に dono ie mo terasu mangetsu tenshin ni Fallen ginkgo nuts – a male ginkgo tree stands at a short distance 銀杏落つ少し離れて雄株立つ ichyo otsu sukosi hanarete okabu tatsu Kyoko Shimizu, Japan footbridge covered with autumn leaves water lily pond пешеходен мост покрито с есенни листа езеро с лилии sunny afternoon on a bench facing the sun autumn leaves слънчев слеобед на пейка обърната към слънцето есенни листа snowstorm in the apple tree chanting bells снежна буря на ябълковото дърво звънтят камбанки Tsanka Shishkova, Bulgaria last night’s rain, the first light of day on the drops. Lluvia de anoche, la primera luz del día sobre las gotas. Leticia Sicilia, Spain autumn noon the light and shadow of birdsong autumn dusk a cricket’s love trill in fading light Neena Singh, India twilit garden – the gauzy wings of a mosquito bare branches . . . a spider launches itself into the storm roadside weed – its seedheads point to the stars Barbara Strang, New Zealand ashfall the missing river of heaven the emptiness of a mermaid’s purse . . . rusted hull Debbie Strange, Canada last year’s struggles . . . just one breath rights the bug Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan breaking dawn two pairs of sandals on the mosque steps menjelang fajar dua pasang sendal di tangga masjid mother’s last words fallen snow on maple leaves ucapan terakhir ibu butiran salju di atas daun maple Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia autumn moon shaky gossamer traps from twig to twig Barbara A. Taylor, Australia early fall – the sunlit centers of purple asters October wind – leaf shadows on the wall of the empty house autumn leaves without a whisper of wind song Angela Terry, USA turning into and out of ice winter pond Jennifer Thiermann, USA year’s end – the temple bell in a slow fade bristlecone pine – shapes of wind frozen in layered snow Richard Tice, USA what’s the use of the rush . . . city moon untuk apa tergesa . . . bulan di atas kota Elisa Theriana, Indonesia a curving beach one crab’s raised pincers pierce autumn fog Carrie Ann Thunell, USA first frost – popping pumpkin seeds in mother’s frypan eerste vorst – ploffende pompoenpitten in moeders bakpan Corine Timmer, Portugal/The Netherlands stormy rain – the lullaby by Mozart on the radio ropot de ploaie – cântec de leagăn de Mozart la radio Snowstorm in the village – grandma spins the wool murmuring a song Furtună de zăpadă în sat – bunica toarce lână murmurând un cântec Maria Tirenescu, Romania all souls’ night my great-grandparents play in the snow Xenia Tran, Scotland autumnal stars the unexpected pleasure of a nightingale harvesting light one memory at a time autumn moon Kevin Valentine, USA sleepless night the stream rocks a pebble back and forth slapeloze nacht de stroom wiegt een steentje heen en weer Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands missing you in ways I never thought I would blue moon Christine L. Villa, USA evening walk a young deer rustles between stray thoughts changing seasons a blue heron on a rock going nowhere Mary Vlooswyk, Canada pumpkin cupcakes . . . in grandma’s recipe book a stain still full of flavor brioșe cu dovleac . . . o pată încă aromată în rețetarul bunicii Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania sun through icicles the spirit of my brother in a blue jay’s call scent of pine the fire’s long shadows spinning the dreidel Althea Rowe Watson, USA mist rises weight of moonlight on the wetlands deep autumn David Watts, USA autumn mountains touching the limitless blue sky Elaine Wilburt, USA a leaf falls past an open window first day of school clouds of breath a winter sun burns away the eulogy late winter an icicle drips on an empty mailbox Robert Witmer, Japan tree limb encased in ice what I keep to myself Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, USA peace earth embraces a leaf memorial an acorn found with her jewelry another autumn the moon moves its way through the dark zen garden the storm wears away some stone Jann Wright, USA moon at the bottom of the swift and gurgling stream shines as a coin månen längst ner av den snabba och gurglande strömmen lyser som ett mynt Konstantin Yakimchuk, Sweden a golden leaf . . . reminds me of his hazel eyes ورقةٌ ذهبيّةٌ . . . تُذكِّرُني بعينيهِ العسليتينِ une feuille dorée . . . me fait penser à ses yeux noisette Hassane Zemmouri, Algeria scooping water moonlight drips off her fingers John Zheng, USA First Prize:
dried sunflower the beauty of a brief life Meik Blöttenberger, USA This is a subtle meditation on beauty and impermanence. Second Prize: an ancient path in a sky without time departing geese Carol Raisfeld, USA A deep meditation on the natural world. Third Prize: a lone boat amid a river of stars crescent moon con thuyền lẻ loi giữa dòng tinh tú vầng trăng khuyết Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Vietnam A deep experience of mystery and stillness. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): wild asters nodding in the wind all we hold dear Maxianne Berger, Canada moonlit lake renewing my faith in infinity Helen Buckingham, UK autumn stillness as if I were part of the void Jenny Fraser, New Zealand eighty autumns . . . her fingers remembering the first quinces osamdeset jeseni... njeni prsti se prisjećaju prvih dunja Goran Gatalica, Croatia miscarriage . . . how long this autumn of my womb Arvinder Kaur, India autumn loneliness a windfall of red maples on her kimono Mohammad Azim Khan, Pakistan skipping stone the autumn pond restoring the clouds în urma pietrei iazul de toamnă reface norii Eduard Ţară, Romania Haiku Moment Award
seeking mother’s hidden light star magnolia Martha Magenta, UK A very subtly expressed feeling of longing of the poet for her mother. Runners-Up (in alphabetical order): cows settle deeper in their shadows autumn moon Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA A perfectly expressed moment in autumn. all we’ve forgotten . . . the honeysuckle in winter Mark E. Brager, USA A simply stated insight into winter. Early dawn - into my dream breaks a cawing crow 明易や烏の声に夢破れ Akeyasuya karasu no koe ni yume yabure Satoru Kanematsu, Japan A modern turn on classic Japanese crow haiku. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): beaver moon - what is left behind in this windswept field سنگ آبی مہتاب اس باد زدہ میدان میں کیا باقی بچا ہے Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan autumn deepens . . . meerkats in the pile of yellowed leaves ẹ̀rún múlẹ̀ . . . àwọn ẹmọ́ àfè nínu ẹ̀rẹ́ẹ́lẹ̀ ewé Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy), Nigeria frozen waterfalls on a roadside cliff - the silence between us Susan Constable, Canada climate change on the merchant’s stall no pumpkin smiles accords sur le climat sur l’étal les potirons n’ont pas le sourire Marie Derley, Belgium autumn wind bristled the spines of a hedgehog Jesenji vetar nakostrešio bodlje ježa Zoran Doderović, Croatia wind storm - Norfolk pines hold up the Milky Way Lorin Ford, Australia crabapples in moonlight . . . first frost 海棠月色映初霜 David He, People’s Republic of China dandelion tea - the more bitter taste of this spring ceai de păpădie - gustul mai amar al acestei primăveri Mirela Brăilean, Romania life in a puddle chasing a cloud Jeff Ferrara, USA Coronavirus. Quarantine. Tell it to the nightingale Coronavirus. Cuarentena. Digànselo al ruiseñor. Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic Welcome to the spring/summer 2020 issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. This issue and our world are dominated by the coronavirus pandemic which has led directly to many deaths. Yet this journal and the mode of presenting haiku poets’ responses to this situation is a means of overcoming the so-called lockdown, despite the quarantine’s required masks and social distancing rules. The significance of haiku to resolve or lighten this condition is in its opening of a deep feeling of the poet with a heightened moment with other people and with nature and the universe as a whole, including the central spring season word in Japan, sakura (cherry blossoms). In many cultures the spring equinox is also recognized and celebrated. Haiku poetry also highlights a heightened emotion of various kinds by a given observation within that emotion. The focuses of this issue’s haiku more or less resemble haiku conceived under less troubling times and, in fact, might help overcome some of the current time’s troubling conditions. The haiku in this issue do this by focusing on myriad moments of experience that they may have under more untroubled times: cherry blossoms, the spring equinox, the moon, the sun, clouds, rainbows, wildflowers, farm animals, forests, rain, lightening, ocean, wild vegetables, moss on a stone, stars, sunshine, wild birds, pet birds, newborn bird chicks, sunshine, frogs, empty train stations, footprints, grass, insect sounds, friends and family, and whatever comes to a poet’s mind in a focused or entranced mind, or both. The so-called haiku moment has a magical elevating quality. Here is a good description of it by the New Zealand short story writer Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) from one of her stories: “Wind moving through the grass so that the grass quivers. This moves me with an emotion I don’t even understand.” Even in uncertain times the haiku moment can awaken you in a positive way and remove the overpowering struggle with, for example, the pandemic, at least for a moment. Comparing the haiku in earlier issues of this journal, this issue shows a less deep connection of the kind referred to by Mansfield. Nonetheless, it is wonderful what the poets came up with despite the pandemic. All in all, an impressive group of world haiku rising above the troubling time. Bruce Ross, June 2020 a lark – crosses the river the echo of its song una allodola - attraversa il fiume l’eco del canto all equal the cherry blossoms along the journey tutti uguali i fiori di ciliegio lungo il viaggio Vincenzo Adamo, Italy the surprise passing another key worker in morning light chaffinch call a brief burst of sunshine Joanna Ashwell, UK August night the depth of a bullfrog’s song Susan Auld, USA spring equinox - weaverbirds carrying grasses to the tree ọ̀gìnìtì - àwọn ẹyẹ ẹ̀gà ń gbé koríko lọ sórí igi first rain . . . the village kids hold out their palms òjò àkọ́kọ́ . . . àwọn ọmọ oko tẹ́wọ́ síwájú hot noon . . . the shadow of a waterbird shades a baby crab ọ̀sán pọ́n ganrí . . . òjìjí ẹyẹ ọ̀sìn ràgàbo ọmọ akàn Taofeek Ayeyemi, Nigeria lockdown the silence releases a blue heron lockdown de stilte laat een blauwe reiger vrij Michael Baeyens, Belgium moon shadows through lace curtains her perfume flasks street festival a little girl tap dancing her dolly Maxianne Berger, Canada sweltering noon the swing sways empty Bisshie, Switzerland full nest - all the loved ones in my heart cuib plin toţi cei dragi în inima mea dandelion tea - the more bitter taste of this spring ceai de păpădie - gustul mai amar al acestei primăveri Mirela Brăilean, Romania trees blooming - at the window the city disappears little by little copaci care înfloresc - la fereastră oraşul dispare puţin câte puţin Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania mockingbird the vicissitudes of summer rain passion fruit smell of the sea in the rain Matthew Caretti, USA savoring the quietness I feel - forest bathing Vernon Chain, USA naïve painting - the colors of the woods come from the rainbow pictură naivă - culorile pădurii vin din curcubeu Vasile Cojocaru, Romania driftwood a cormorant floats through the mist a ridge of sand the length of our house ants ants ants a wall of wild roses starlit night Susan Constable, Canada alighting on a branch what does the cuckoo know of today? Risё Daniels, USA spring horizon a newborn foal finds its balance summer haze the greenish-purple color of figs Carmela Dolce, USA dandelion in breeze an orphan girl reaching out to her new mom and dad прецъфтяло глухарче сираче протяга ръчички към новите мама и татко setting sun in dad’s coin collection summer solstice заник в колекцията от монети на татко лятно слънцестоене Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria before I had a name wildflowers finding my way past midnight . . . spring stars Rebecca Drouilhet, USA supermarket shopper removes her mask to sniff a melon sacrament of penance penitent whispers her sins through a mask John J. Dunphy, USA cherry blossoms - tightly embracing our shadows flori de cireş - strâns îmbrăţişate umbrele noastre Carmen Duvalma, Romania the moon is still the shade is hushed maluhia ka mahina kahi malu e malu ai David Eyre, USA (Hawai’i) the ebb and flow of prairie grasses - flight of a goldfinch just enough light remaining vee of geese Seren Fargo, USA life in a puddle chasing a cloud Jeff Ferrara, USA a tipsy man lifts his hat and bows - cherry blossoms raven fledglings - the many ways black birds look at me Lorin Ford, Australia silence inside me only the spring raindrops keep falling cisza we mnie słychać tylko krople wiosennego deszczu Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland Coronavirus. Quarantine. Tell it to the nightingale Coronavirus. Cuarentena. Digànselo al ruiseñor. Cigüiriyines que pìan desde el alba. La primavera. Cigüiriyines* &nbs |