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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* they chirp since dawn - Spring. *diminutive name for cigua, national bird of the Dominican Republic Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic summer lightning - our cat leaps from the bookshelf ljetna munja - naša mačka skače s police za knjige Goran Gatalica, Croatia cherry blossoms now on my bedroom calendar hana akari shinshitsu no kabe carendaru 花明かり 寝室 の 壁 カレンダー はなあかり しんしつ の かべ カレンダー young mourning dove selects her breakfast mud flats wakai mohato kanojo no chōshoku o erabu higata 若い 喪鳩 彼女 の 朝食 を 撰ぶ 干潟 わかい もはと かのじょ の ちょそく を えらぶ ひがた Judith Hishikawa, USA summer dusk frogsong overtakes birdsong dark-eyed juncos roil up roadside dust a glowing dawn Gary Hittmeyer, USA cottage ceiling - sunlight carries the stream’s ripples Frank Hooven, USA vernal equinox - a cascade of sparkles fall from the big dipper starless nights - time of Covid-19 self-isolation afternoon nap sunshine colours her cheeks Marilyn Humbert, Australia deserted train station no one to hear the grass growing between rails gară pustie cine să audă iarba crescând printre şine Mona Iordan, Romania Spring blossom it’s come and gone without a sound Erica Ison, UK In isolation - only the flowering cherry knocks on my window În izolare - doar cireşul înflorit îmi bate în geam Coronavirus - but the cherry blossoms are just as beautiful Coronavirus - dar florile de cireş la fel de frumoase Forgotten easel - through the open window the song of blackbird Şevalet uitat - prin fereastra deschisă cântecul mierlei Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania on the road to Genbaku Dome cherry blossoms Rick Jackofsky, USA Early dawn - into my dream breaks a cawing crow 明易や烏の声に夢破れ Akeyasuya karasu no koe ni yume yabure Midday nap - awaken safely back on this planet 昼寝覚め無事に戻りてこの星に hirunezame bujini modorite konohoshi ni Satoru Kanematsu, Japan darker after every puddle - child’s footprints Skylar Kay, Canada deserted playground one swing still swinging kjmunro, Canada counting days in lavender growth this time alone another day of not knowing clouds Deborah P Kolodji, USA sunlit stained glass - a pheasant crosses the rusty railways vitraž na suncu - fazan prelazi preko hrđavih tračnica Nina Kovačić, Croatia head of tide a kingfisher patrols upriver and back summer rain strange cries of a peacock from the old pine Kristen Lindquist, USA shelter in place - a faraway look on the face of a street boy 在家避難 一名街頭小孩臉上 遠望的神情 Chen-ou Liu, Canada seeking mother’s hidden light star magnolia Martha Magenta, UK early spring new lavender among old Margaret Mahony, Australia ocean a taste of salt in the rain vid havet smaken av salt i regnet dawn a chick still in its egg gryning en kyckling stilla i sitt ägg Anna Maris, Sweden with the stream’s song a new unfurling of fiddleheads clouded moon the river fades back to black Marietta McGregor, Australia on the stone tender moss is growing no longer lonely Crece el musguito . . . Ya no siente la piedra tantas ausencias Lía Miersch, Argentina spring again in my old heart a new love primăvară iar în inima mea bătrână o nouă iubire among blossoming trees a dry one with a chirping nest printre copacii înfloriţi unul uscat cu un cuib ciripind Victoria Milescu, Romania soft summer grass naming our own constellations Ben Moeller-Gaa, USA campfire - the gaps among the stars filled with smoke foc de tabără - golurile dintre stele umplute cu fum Vasile Moldovan, Romania every night of Lent my sister’s voice through the dark my mother smiles talking about her first crush super pink moon Beverly Acuff Momoi, USA old aspen new shoots rise from forgotten roots Mike Montreuil, Canada new moon thinner than hair . . . I miss my father la luna nuova più fina di un capello . . . mi manca mio padre hanging the canary-bird in parlor window shut-in he and me appendo fuori il canarino in gabbia reclusi io e lui Luciana Moretto, Italy March rain arranging maple twigs in the bud vase Laurie D. Morrissey, USA depression lifting . . . from the top of the pinyon warbler song Marie Louise Munro, USA sudden downpour the caged parakeets sing louder call to prayer night cicadas in the garden Tim Murphy (Spain/Ireland) venus in the west tea picker batıda tan yildizi cayci kiz leap year some children born old artik yil bazi çocuklar yasli dogar sunflower says the child picking it bir cocuk aycicegi der koparirlar Guliz Mutlu, Turkey nearly spring hobo and moon travel ‘til dawn soft rain one by one petals fall Nika, Canada gathering seashells - her tiny footprints in mine Wendy Notarnicola, USA Easter Sunday a remote spring in the forest putting down my earbuds . . . a blackbird singing Victor Ortiz, USA cloudy Friday - the magpie carefully places a twig in its nest Maeve O’Sullivan, Ireland chalk figures six feet apart spring water lilies closing in the clouds Roland Packer, Canada cloud gazing dancing bumblebees lull me to sleep Scott Packer, Canada a clear morning from a night of mist hedgerow’s wildflowers bore clir o niwl y nos blodau gwyllt y clawdd dandelions opening to the day a night’s hidden path dant y llew yn agor gyda’r dydd llwybr cudd y nos Thomas Powell, Wales after a hot day the summer moon cools the air summer moon the new neighbours raise their voices Patricia Prime, New Zealand summer’s end leaving sandcastles for the moon Carol Raisfeld, USA Rajasthani dancer the silver sound of her jangling anklets Ivan Randall, Australia spring bursts of Hardenbergia along the roadside Carol Reynolds, Australia summer concert the silence after the last note Edward J. Rielly, USA Easter celebration together from a distance Bona M. Santos, USA eucalyptus forests the hushed whispers of the children Minal Sarosh, India campsite whispering between fire and river Agnes Eva Savich, USA shutdown the sunny side of the street deserted tout est fermé le côté ensoleillé de la rue désert Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland Bending deep the Pope praying alone at Piazza San Pietro 深々と祈る法王サンピエトロ広場 Fukabuka to inoru hōou sanpietoro hiroba Self-restraint of going out a first butterfly came to the doorway 外出の自粛の戸口初蝶来 Gaishutu no jishuku no toguchi hatsuchō ku Kyoko Shimizu, Japan dawn meditation the valley surrenders its mist Debbie Strange, Canada Canicular summer - a hoarse skylark searches for water Vară toridă - ciocârlia răguşită caută apă Constantin Stroe, Romania wind chimes . . . one sparrow after another in the bird bath Angela Terry, USA Breeze at dawn - a flowering branch hides the nest Adiere-n zori o creangă înflorită ascunde cuibul closing the book - my mother is watching the rainbow închizând cartea - mama priveşte curcubeul Maria Tirenescu, Romania bamboo grove the dance between light and shadow magnolia blossom a mockingbird weaves moonlight into song the flicker of fireflies falling star Kevin Valentine, USA morning prayer a slow breeze brings in the scent of distant rain Rashmi VeSa, India vernal equinox - buying from the market a green scarf echinocţiu vernal - îmi cumpăr de la târg o eşarfă verde Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania lockdown families pond fishing six feet apart in lockdown layers of pine pollen yellow the porch Marilyn Appl Walker, USA social distancing what a moon has always meant the squirrel’s leap to a tender branch first day of spring Julie Warther, USA a blind kitten in the baker’s hand - first spring morning Michael Dylan Welch, USA April sunshine mother buried underground liked sunbathing kwietniowe słońce mama pogrzebana w ziemi lubiła się opalać this is where I come to be rye fields in June oto miejsce gdzie się staję żytnie pola w czerwcu Ernest Wit, Poland spring sunshine a girl with green eyes smiles back a ripe plum in a child’s fingers sunset lockdown the honeysuckle climbs the garden wall Robert Witmer, Japan your fingers find mine rising blush of sunset Valorie Woerdehoff, USA Welcome to the third Autumn/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. Haiku has for the most part been a poetic form that reflects the sensibility of a poet and his or her relation to the world they live in, particularly in relation to the natural world and its seasons, with very old guidebooks (saijiki) to those seasons, including seasonal holidays, in Japan. A good source for the saijiki is William J. Higginson’s HAIKU WORLD, AN INTERNATIONAL POETRY ALMANAC, with over 600 poets from fifty countries and presented in English and the poet’s original language. The haiku poet’s sensibility should permeate their haiku in a poetic way and should therefore express originality. Thus the phrasing in this short haiku form should present the emotional underpinning of the author’s moment of insight where sensibility comes to reflect their haiku moment, such as the experience of beauty. Poetically this moment of insight is structured in the usually natural focus of the insight’s basis in a condition of seasonal changes however small, like a solitary flower or butterfly, or extensive, like falling autumn leaves or a snowstorm. The haiku’s expression and the haiku’s insight are presented as a separation in the haiku, whether formal with punctuation or a distinct shift in expression, or informal, in the poetic flow of the haiku’s phrasing. Unfortunately, as pointed out by the young climate activist Greta Thunberg, major natural catastrophes have been happening around the world, perhaps due to the effects of overpopulation and the side effects of extensive technology, leading to what has been called the “postmodern condition.” Yet, as some haiku in this journal’s current issue, while pointing to this condition, also celebrate the ongoing presence of seasons and seasonal activities relating to those seasons, expressing the effect of seasonal realities on the poets’ sensibility. So decidedly haiku poets should develop his or her sensibility by experiencing and expressing the affect of seasonal nature as it is encountered in the tangible here and now. I invite you to look up my essay “The Essence of Haiku” which examines in greater depth some of the issues brought up here: http://www.modernhaiku.org/essays/RossEssenceHaiku.html
Bruce Ross, December 2019 winter silence everything that surrounds me is unknown silenzio invernale - tutto ciò che me circonda è sconosciuto Vincenzo Adamo, Italy forgetting this isn’t home maple leaves Kate Alsbury, USA eating the pomegranate seeds another autumn Jenny Ward Angyal, USA cows settle deeper in their shadows autumn moon Marilyn Ashbaugh, USA beaver moon - what is left behind in this windswept field سنگ آبی مہتاب اس باد زدہ میدان میں کیا باقی بچا ہے Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan the skitter of an unseen bird cracks the ice Joanna Ashwell, UK autumn deepens . . . meerkats in the pile of yellowed leaves ẹ̀rún múlẹ̀ . . . àwọn ẹmọ́ àfè nínu ẹ̀rẹ́ẹ́lẹ̀ ewé Taofeek Ayeyemi (Aswagaawy), Nigeria september fog the cat’s fur carries wood smoke septembernevel de vacht van de kat ademt houtrook Michael Baeyens, Belgium flickers of an old warmth . . . autumn moon Aaron Barry, Canada the amber glow of eucalyptus trunks autumn deepens Dyana Basist, USA fallow garden she hums the same lullaby Maxianne Berger, Canada all we’ve forgotten . . . the honeysuckle in winter Mark E. Brager, USA laundry day . . . the old clothesline fallen Ed Bremson, USA sunday mushrooming bells ring out Helen Buckingham, UK moss etched her tombstone also decaying swirling leaves hugging a maple feeling one John Budan, USA a crescent moon dangles from the bare branch twelfth night Alanna C. Burke, USA Autumn night - the leafless limbs of trees carry the moon Bugnaw'ng kagabhion - naupaw'ng kulamoy sa kahoy nagsapnay sa bulan China Cancio, Philippines mountain station - the freight train carries only fog gară de munte - trenul de marfă transportă doar ceaţă Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania leaves fall . . . every breath is already the past cadono foglie . . . ogni respiro è già il passato white chrysanthemums . . . the silent essence of the morning crisantemi bianchi . . . l’essenza silenziosa del mattino Lucia Cardillo, Italy saturniid moth clinging to September sun Matthew Caretti, USA autumn wind - i let go of myself Jennifer Carr, USA moonlight loading a port tank with the shine of harvest mjesečina puni silos u luci žetvenim sjajem Mihovila Čeperić-Biljan, Croatia winter’s dusk - i travel this last road alone Vernon Chain, USA rustle of leaves - I open my soul to let the autumn enter foşnet de frunze - îmi deschid sufletul să intre toamna Vasile Cojocaru, Romania last harvest just enough to feed the birds Sue Colpitts, Canada frozen waterfalls on a roadside cliff - the silence between us Susan Constable, Canada moonlight the smell of leaves upon leaves Vera Constantineau, Canada hunter’s moon releasing a striper Bill Cooper, USA deep winter the snow has erased his footprints Tina Crenshaw, USA At Thanksgiving all the garden laid out on the table A l’Action de Grâce tout le jardin étalé sur la table Liette Croteau, Canada heavy heart my notebook full of dead leaves le cœur gros mon calepin boursouflé de feuilles mortes Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont, Belgium climate change on the merchant’s stall no pumpkin smiles accords sur le climat sur l’étal les potirons n’ont pas le sourire Marie Derley, Belgium golden tamaracks snowbirds take flight Karen Dick, Canada autumn wind bristled the spines of a hedgehog Jesenji vetar nakostrešio bodlje ježa Zoran Doderović, Croatia autumn’s chill at the grave an eddy of leaves Carmela Dolce, USA harvest moon - the fragrance of a fresh haiku book luna plină - parfumul prospeţimii unei cărţi de haiku Ana Drobot, Romania dark field pumpkins glow upon harvest moons of ice Michael Dudley, Canada his first Yuletide our dog marks the Christmas tree John J. Dunphy, USA the storks are leaving - will I live until next year to see them again? pleacă berzele - trăi-voi pân’ la anul să le revăd? starless sky - the field full of thistles empty autumn cer fără stele - câmpu-i plin de ciulini toamnă săracă Adina Enăchescu, Romania falling shadows of falling leaves missing my dad David Käwika Eyre, USA Kurds flee same full moon here and there Susan Farmer, USA a gentle broom for the woolly bear on the threshold Jeff Ferrara, USA wind storm - Norfolk pines hold up the Milky Way four am milking - out of the valley fog the dairy herd Lorin Ford, Australia maple wind shadows the way I used to dance Jenny Fraser, New Zealand test results come back negative . . . Thanksgiving William Scott Galasso, USA autumn arrives - the ciguas* of my house where have they gone? llega el otoño - las ciguas de mi casa dònde se han ido? *grey and white national bird of the Dominican Republic Rafael García Bidó, Dominican Republic shifting mountains autumn’s reflection in the river les montagnes dansent leur reflet d’automne à flots Line Gauthier, Canada autumn woods stillness in the stillness joan iversen goswell, USA even to the moon the red leaves rustle in this breeze 甚至对明月 红叶沙沙微风中 crabapples in moonlight . . . first frost 海棠月色映初霜 David He, People’s Republic of China fall planting grave promises of spring Marilyn Henighan, Canada a blue jay drops the smallest peanut autumn morning Gary Hittmeyer, USA bend in the road winter light through a deer’s rib cage Frank Hooven, USA after chemo snatches of sky in every puddle Louise Hopewell, Australia larger in my window than the sky full moon Gary Hotham, USA empty sky after the storm silence Marilyn Humbert, Australia end of season - my sand castle taken by the waves sfârşit de sezon - castelul meu de nisip luat de valuri Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania waiting for the fall of another leaf - the rest is silence aşteptând căderea altei frunze - restul e tăcere Dan Iulian, Romania Kongming lanterns - wondering which is my autumn moon Lakshmi Iyer, India a thousand raindrops in a footprint left behind Rick Jackofsky, USA for my coins he offers a winter smile the squall of wild geese at nightfall - waning moon Shirley Johnson, Canada summer into fall on a shelf with Santa two garden gnomes Jeanne Jorgensen, Canada old tin roof a full moon in the sound of autumn rain no mind still migrating geese Elmedin Kadric, Sweden Another wrinkle Found in the mirror - Bare branches Skylar Kay, Canada the boy’s hands do not stretch far enough starry lake Jeff Kressmann, USA autumn breeze I open the door to fireweed fluff kjmunro, Canada all saint’s day gathering pumpkins for squirrels Jill Lange, USA Valentine’s Day stomping out hearts in the snow Kristen Lindquist, USA harvest moon holding my thoughts of home close . . . and closer (for Li Po) 豐收月 貼近 ...再貼近 我對家的思念 the weight of winter twilight river’s edge 冬天暮色 的沉重之感 河流的邊緣 Chen-ou Liu, Canada steam rises from the newborn foal - winter dawn John McManus, UK departing autumn the kettle’s whistle brings me back to the present Indra Neil Mekala, India Late at night Still the sound of neighbors chopping wood Tarde en la noche Aùn se oyen los vecinos cortando leña Lía Miersch, Argentina the spider dead in its own web autumn breeze Ben Moeller-Gaa, USA water dried - on the bottom of the riverbed stream of leaves apa a secat - pe fundul albiei şuvoi de frunze Vasile Moldovan, Romania Thanksgiving one year ago widowed autumn leaves . . . catching in my throat the word good-bye Joanne Morcom, Canada ‘autumn leaves’ from afar a piano plays afterglow ‘le foglie morte’ nelle note di un piano . . . luce al tramonto Luciana Moretto, Italy clear ice - skating into dad’s perfect circle open door a spider swings in with the stars Laurie D. Morrissey, USA river of stars . . . a little boy wiggles his milk tooth Ron C. Moss, Australia autumn leaves the refugee’s hands red with henna hazan yaprakları mültecinin elleri kına kızılı where do you go before the rain and the swallows nereye gidiyorsun yağmurdan evvel ve kırlangıçlardan adónde te vas antes de la lluvia y las golondrinas Guliz Mutlu, Turkey/Spain clinging to life a yellowed leaf on a branch against the wind bám níu sự sống chiếc lá đã ngả vàng trên cành đối chọi cơn gió Ngo Binh Anh Khoa, Vietnam The autumn moon - in the garden still chirping a lonely cricket Luna de toamnă - în grădină mai cântă stingher un greier Valentin Nicoliţov, Romania a pawn alone on the chessboard harbourfront rain Roland Packer, Canada winter sunshine a white-brown scrubwren shows the way Greg Piko, Australia autumn fair maples drop leaves all shades of red осенняя ярмарка клены роняют листья всех цветов рыжего Philmore Place, Belarus crescent moon bending wood to make a wheel Keith Polette, USA paw print on the ice just one John Potts, UK nearly ninety so many autumn moons in grandma’s life Patricia Prime, New Zealand autumn chill remnants of a web tinged with frost Carol Raisfeld, USA autumn equinox the wave before it crashes Dian Duchin Reed, USA winter rain nothing seems quite to be itself Edward J. Rielly, USA evergreens hold the old snow’s weight New Year’s Day Barbara Sabol, USA center of the lake trudging in and out in snowmobile tracks Tom Sacramona, USA winter morning the shape of words I speak to her Srinivasa Rao Sambangi, India wayang* all night the pale moon awaits outside the screen wayang semalam suntuk bulan pucat menanti di luar layar *Indonesian shadow puppet show Ken Sawitri, Indonesia baby due tomorrow she rakes fallen leaves into neat piles Debbie Scheving, USA winter rain i go back inside my thoughts Rich Schilling, USA pouring rain the buttery texture of red kuri squash trombe d’eau la chair fondante du potimarron Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland unpaved backroad 14 point shadow out of season Ron Scully, USA Lots of persimmons weigh on the branches crows cawing louder 柿たわわ烏の声の高まれり kaki tawawa karasu no koe no takamareri Kyoko Shimizu, Japan dawn . . . the sound of rain on dry leaves amanecer . . . el sonido de la lluvia sobre hojas secas Leticia Sicilia, Spain childhood recalled the smoothness of a chestnut this fall autumn leaves twenty-four new colours in the grade one class windfall the stag in the road stays put Susan Spooner, Canada missing my friend . . . the grey heron at the creek drowned suburb Canada geese float on their reflections Barbara Strang, New Zealand autumn leaves the missing colours of my life Debbie Strange, Canada Unread letters - in the mail box only leaves Scrisori necitite - în cutia poştală numai frunze Constantin Stroe, Romania autumn moon the rising aroma of roast chestnuts Andre Surridge, New Zealand everywhere a bird might sing winter sun Rick Tarquinio, USA harvest moon four spirits wander the corn maze Barbara Tate, USA deep winter . . . the silence of trackless snow Angela Terry, USA one apple in his hand in mine—harvest moon één appel in zijn hand in mijn hand—oogstmaan Corine Timmer, The Netherlands/Portugal wet night - the cat is hiding in the old waistcoat noapte umedă - pisica se ascunde în vechiul cojoc Maria Tirenescu, Romania autumn stillness - seeing the underside of the bridge Stephen Toft, UK new years morning how quietly the rain falls nieuwjaars morgen hoe zachtjes valt de regen Joanne van Helvoort, The Netherlands departing cranes . . . I search for you on each moonlit sky se duc cocorii . . . te caut pe fiecare cer pe care creşte luna Steliana Voicu, Romania a wren sings from grandpa’s gravestone autumn afternoon marriage over a monarch butterfly also leaving Marilyn Appl Walker, USA a few months of winter poems but then . . . but then! Julie Warther, USA a white feather floats down from a tree autumn coolness waking childless a glittering frost has settled Lucy Whitehead, UK Christmas morning Virgin Mary holds snow in her hands Boże Narodzenie Dziewica Maria trzyma śnieg w dłoniach autumn river heading towards a place we cannot see jesienna rzeka zmierzamy do miejsca którego nie widać Ernest Wit, Poland wormholes in the sweetest apples autumn afternoon Robert Witmer, Japan rustle of leaves on a windless day anniversary of his death forest thicket watching the fawn watching me Valorie Woerdehoff, USA , USA First Prize
Evening moon. I shall not travel alone to my village. Вечерњи месец. Нећу путовати сама у своје село. Ljubinka Tošić, Serbia This moving haiku poetically captures a true connection between human beings and nature. Second Prize silent witness to this bittersweet world – autumn moon Richard Grumberg, Australia A good philosophic look at a troublesome time, perhaps redeemed by the connection to the moon. Third Prize moon enough to illuminate each step prayer beads Randy Brooks, USA A fine presentation of a zen meditation walk in which the moon suggests the depth of the meditation. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) a refugee child curls up to sleep . . . fallen leaves ایک مہاجر بچہ سمٹ کرسوتےہوے جھڑے ہوے پتے Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan waning moon the key into the rusty lock turns only halfway sanjuktaa asopa, India hunter’s moon illuminating early snow Vera Constantineau, Canada ripening haws the robin changes its song Martha Magenta, UK fall twilight trying to read my brother’s last letter Edward J.Rielly, USA sundown the bare tree bends closer to the ground senja pohon gundul itu condong mendekat ke tanah Lucky Triana, Indonesia childhood memories colored with pastels – autumn sundown Kevin Valentine, USA Haiku Moment Award for a moment I remember I belong wildflowers Samantha Renda, South Africa Samantha’s haiku perfectly captures the essence of the haiku moment. Runners-Up (in alphabetical order): three generations in the patchwork quilt autumn leaves Susan Constable, Canada The masterful link intensifies this haiku’s emotions. searching the sky for traces of my ancestors . . . winter stars Rebecca Drouilhet, USA A poetically worded haiku of wonder. all I know for certain cicada shell Elmedin Kadric, Sweden This haiku expresses the emotion at the heart of Buddhism. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): in the alleys orange blossom scent . . . the rest escapes me nei vicoli profumo di zagare . . . il resto mi sfugge Lucia Cardillo, Italy though you won’t be the last please hold on tight – yellowed leaf Skylar Kay, Canada a newborn’s cry all the phases of the moon kjmunro, Canada northern lights no need for words norrsken inga ord nödvändiga Anna Maris, Sweden Under the rain, with boughs of wisteria Sixty years old Bajo la lluvia, con ramos de glicina Sesenta años Lía Miersch, Argentina all my dreams not come true winter stars tous mes rêves non réalisés étoiles d'hiver Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland In hospital her trial walk with a stick cherry blossoms in chill 院内を杖つきて試歩花の冷え Innai wo tsue tsukite shiho hana no hie Kyoko Shimizu, Japan green buds on my walking stick spring’s first day d w skrivseth, USA trying to conceive a plum blossom settles at my feet Lucy Whitehead, UK summer field walk finding answers to which there are no questions pola latem znajduję odpowiedzi na które nie ma pytań Ernest Wit, Poland Welcome to the second Spring/Summer issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. For many of you, a long winter that produced the incredible experience of yellow forsythia and daffodils, and other flowers and their colors, including cherry blossoms. One can see why kigo (season words) are dominated by flowers in the appropriate seasons. In early February 2019 my video talk “Uto-Aztec Flower World, Japanese Kigo, and Worldwide Key Words” was presented at the World Haiku Conference in Pune, India. I noted that in Japan such worldwide spiritual states derived from nature may be linked to the nature religion Shinto and its elevated phenomenological reception of the natural world which in turn may be linked to the poetics of haiku and kigo, a suggestive season word, particularly a heightened and synesthetic evoking of perceptual experience. In Japan, the flora and fauna were organized in saijiki ("year time chronicle", a list of kigo used in haiku and related forms). Despite the curious changes taking place in the natural world due to global warming or other not well recognized natural changes, the “Flower World” still exists as do the heightened kigo and key word moments of haiku experience in that world. Many of the haiku you will find in this issue are expressed in this spirit. Bruce Ross, June 2019 a butterfly - on the flower trail traces the path una farfalla - sul sentiero dei fiori traccia il percorso Vincenzo Adamo, Italy day moon my restless night follows me Joanna Ashwell, UK creek sound - in the wicker basket mushrooms rumore del torrente dentro il cesto di vimini funghi porcini Pasquale Asprea, Italy at midnight I almost hear them frogs singing Dyana Basist, USA a door slams in the empty dollhouse . . . summer rain Mark E. Brager, USA bee rolls in pollen of a prickly pear blossom morning heat Alanna C. Burke, USA seeing where the argument is headed cloud of juniper pollen Sondra Byrnes, USA blueberries tinge the edge of my bucket - late summer sky Theresa Cancro, USA retirement home - no visitors today only the spring breeze căminul de bătrâni – niciun vizitator astăzi doar adierea de primăvară Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă, Romania in the alleys orange blossom scent . . . the rest escapes me nei vicoli profumo di zagare . . . il resto mi sfugge Luci Cardillo, Italy diving deep a cormorant leads into spring Matthew Caretti, USA rain puddles - stepping around pieces of fallen sky Vernon Chain, USA white lilac throwing in the bin all my scribbles liliacul alb arunc la gunoi toate mâzgălelile Cezar Ciobîcă, Romania returning geese my heart is full of home how moss holds footprints as we pass forest path Sue Colpitts, Canada pond strider the silence of Cassiopeia Martin Cohen, USA april sky on a tombstone the name of a flower cielo d’aprile sulla lapide il nome di un fiore spring evening a little boy plays with loneliness sera di primavera un bimbo gioca con la solitudine Maria Concetta Conti, Italy insomnia the forester counts fireflies безсъния горският брои светулки Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria summer solstice twilight falls on the empty seat Roger Dutcher, USA The flowers come back: In the donkey’s hoof print the lark drinks. Vuelven las flores: En la huella del asno la alondra bebe. Elìas Dàvila Silva, Mexico ritual at dawn - listening to the universe in a cup of tea ritual în zori - ascultând universul în ceaşca de ceai Carmen Duvalma, Romania Pure love - just like the sky in springtime Dragoste pură întocmai cum e cerul în primăvară Adina Enăchescu, Romania an egg warm in her hand - spring moon growing older grass growing under my feet David Käwika Eyre, USA warbler proffering swatches of buttercup to a waking forest Art Fredeen, Canada April, more poems about cherry blossoms than cherry blossoms William Scott Galasso, USA ah to be alive when the nightingale sings sings ah estar vivo cuando canta canta el ruiseñor to be a horse on the plain with flowers April breeze ser un caballo en el llano con flores brisa de abril Rafael Garcia Bidó, Dominican Republic first dew - glittering butterfly on mother’s palm prva rosa - svjetlucavi leptir na majčinom dlanu Goran Gatalica, Croatia last year’s nest in the tree so far only the sound of rain LeRoy Gorman, Canada a day in the life of a Mayfly Charles Harmon, USA thick fog countless syllables of a cuckoo’s call 浓雾中 布谷一声叫 音节数不清 whispering reeds an empty boat fills with moonlight 沙沙芦苇 月光 满空舟 David He, People’s Republic of China paddling into the night sky my canoe soars Marilyn Henighan, Canada Brant Goose when will you go back north? East River Buranto Gachō itsu kita ni agaru no isuto riba ブランド がちょ いつ北に上がるの イスト リーバ spring willow branches floating in the breeze rippled water shunryū no eda kaze ni ukabu sazanami no mizu 春柳の枝 風に浮かぶ さざ波の水 Judith Hishikawa, USA
Su Wai Hlaing, Myanmar
daffodils bending under the weight of spring frost northward equinox Louisa Howerow, Canada afternoon ginko summer shadows dapple the path Marilyn Humbert, Australia Blooming peonies through the garden’s fence - no one passing by Bujori înfloriţi printre gardul grădinii - niciun trecător The old man leaves - withered peonies on the bench Bătrânul pleacă - bujorii ofiliţi rămân pe bancă Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania filling an empty birdbath moonlight Rick Jackofsky, USA May clean-up potted roses unfurl beside mom’s grave Jeanne Jorgensen, Canada all I know for certain cicada shell Elmedin Kadric, Sweden Driving home a spring full moon right and left 車で家へ右へ左へ春の月 kuruma de ie e migi e hidari e haru no tsuki Satoru Kanematsu, Japan even softer through the dirty window - spring sunset Skylar Kay, Canada driving nobody’s point home starlight William Keckler, USA April snow the only daffodil on my lapel kjmunro, Canada California poppies our daughter’s first steps Deborah P Kolodji, USA at rest on my hammock a white butterfly Jill Lange, USA softening rain what’s left of family Jessica Malone Latham, USA strawberry moon white peonies bow beneath the rain Kristen Lindquist, USA bonding trip . . . we paddle through summer stars 鞏固友誼之旅 ... 我們的船槳划過了 夏天星星 moss-covered rock what I could have been otherwise 苔蘚覆蓋的岩石 要不然的話 我本來可以做的這些事 Chen-Ou Liu, Canada the sheep bound out of their pen - last day of school Cyndi Lloyd, USA kite in hand a boy watches the rain fall Gregory Longnecker, USA pale Spring sky its there-ness, this crow Marietta McGregor, Australia spring warmth the taste of strawberry wine on my wife’s lips John McManus, England, UK Under the rain, with boughs of wisteria Sixty years old Bajo la lluvia, con ramos de glicina Sesenta años Lía Miersch, Argentina big blue sky today’s to-do list is set aside Joanne Morcom, Canada floral tablecloth . . . her summer dress nightfall tovaglia a fiori . . . il suo vestito estivo cala la note Luciana Moretto, Italy olive oil thyme there under snow zeytinyağı kekik orada kar altında aceite de oliva el tomillo allí abajo la nieve Guliz Mutlu, Turkey queen anne’s lace floating in the field - summer largesse Suzanne Niedzielska, USA swallowtail the struggle to strengthen new wings Nola Obee, Canada putting down my reading glasses . . . petals in the wind odložim očala za branje... cvetni listki v vetru Polona Oblak, Slovenia the final song of chorus frogs first light Victor Ortiz, USA flatline - a dragonfly hovers above the surface Roland Packer, Canada spring breeze the mockingbird’s song gets carried away Sarah Paris, USA dusk rain your hair fragrance on the towel в сумерках дождь запах твоих волос на полотенце Philmore Place, Belarus the fox’s path through a hole in the hedge a meadow and its stars llwybr y llwynog drwy dwll yn y clawdd y waun a’i sêr Thomas Powell, Wales, UK for a moment I remember I belong wildflowers if I just packed my few things and walked . . . moonlit night Samantha Renda, South Africa mist in this spring morning waiting Edward J. Rielly, USA spring dawn the stillness of my quiet mind Bona M. Santos, USA we forget about the rain chiffchaff song nous oublions les gouttes de pluie chant du pouillot véloce this morning everybody looks young first day of summer ce matin tout le monde a l’air jeune premier jour d’été Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland first lilacs I was not always this age Ann K. Schwader, USA In hospital her trial walk with a stick cherry blossoms in chill 院内を杖つきて試歩花の冷え Innai wo tsue tsukite shiho hana no hie Kyoko Shimizu, Japan summer moon stopping to count seashells an old man Albert Shlaht, USA Summer afternoon, in the wave that breaks a rainbow… Tarde de verano, en la ola que rompe un arcoíris. Leticia Sicilia, Spain this spider web’s vanishing point: without intellect Guy Simser, Canada green buds on my walking stick spring’s first day d w skrivseth, USA moon bridge I row through a circle of light wild mushrooms the scent of earth roots me to home Debbie Strange, Canada Drops of dew - over the green grass my tears Boabe de rouă - lacrimile mele peste iarba crudă Constantin Stroe, Romania sunlit garden the old dog runs through his dreams Rachel Sutcliffe, England, UK butting heads seahorses gently weave through moonlight Barbara A. Taylor, Australia flower girls in their frilly dresses strawberry moon Angela Terry, USA dry earth - grandmother praying to start the rain pământul uscat - bunica rugându-se să-nceapă ploaia the girl learns a song about summer - soft rain fata învaţă un cântec despre vară - plouă domol Maria Tirenescu, Romania smile of a newborn the peony opening up a world 新生児のほほえみ芍薬の花開く shinseiji no hoho-emi shiyakuyaku no hana hiraku Norie Umeda, Japan willow on the shore - heavy with buds a branch sinks the moon salcia la mal - grea de muguri o creangă scufundă luna Ana Urma, Romania apple blossom on the plastic table cloth - the wind carries rain appelbloesem op het plastic tafelkleed - de wind brengt regen Joanne van Helvoort, Netherlands childern’s party - through snapdragon flowers chasing a dragon petrecere de copii - prin flori de gura-leului urmărind un dragon Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania trying to conceive a plum blossom settles at my feet across the red haze of grass shoots the baby’s sigh Lucy Whitehead, UK summer field walk finding answers to which there are no questions pola latem znajduję odpowiedzi na które nie ma pytań Ernest Wit, Poland embrace of an old friend dandelions Valorie Woerdehoff, USA Welcome to the second Autumn/Winter issue of Autumn Moon Haiku Journal. The quality of the submissions has continued to be important and I thank those who submitted and were accepted for sharing their haiku moments with others around the world. In looking over these and other submitted haiku, a few issues occurred to me: haiku seems to be based on a balance between sensibility and phrasing. Phrasing should be poetic and not simply conversational. Haiku phrasing should not be overly flowery (which verges on sentimentality) nor overly telegraphic (which even results in poor English), undermining both haiku as poetry and haiku as clearly expressed insight. Sensibility expresses a haiku moment. As it is in much poetry, haiku should be almost musical in its nature. One of the reasons I have included the original language the haiku was written in, is to give the reader, perhaps, a sense of the music inherent in the given language. The music reflects the heightened experience that the poet had in his or her haiku moment. Sensibility is how each individual poet engages with the world. Although it is the same world that each poet engages, their sense of feeling, though often familiar, is decidedly their own. When these issues are considered and expressed by a distinct sensibility, the result leads to what most would consider great poetry.
Bruce Ross, December 2018 morning frost – eating all alone a sparrow Steve Addiss, USA autumn moon shining in a bowl the beggar’s coin Hifsa Ashraf, Pakistan the weight of my burdens within the leaves Joanna Ashwell, UK the weight of wind fall migration Susan B. Auld, USA winter drizzle the click of the chashaku on the tea bowl’s rim autumn solitude the indigo horizon at dusk Dyana Basist, USA still life beneath the pond ice bywyd llonydd o dan iâ’r pwll Nicola Brown, Wales november night an owl interrupts my visit with the moon Alanna C. Burke, USA twilight . . . heavy persimmons on bare branches le prime luci . . . pesanti cachi appesi a rami spogli Lucia Cardillo, Italy autumn leaves – people in my life falling away Vernon Chain, USA deserted village – only cranes sleep in it forever autumn sat părăsit - în el mai dorm doar cocorii toamna de-a pururi Marius Chelaru, Romania (transl. Olimpia Iacob and Jim Kacian) autumn running my lengthening shadow still ahead jesienny bieg mój wydłużony cień wciąż na przedzie Marta Chocilowska, Poland stepped on the cat again two day storm Sue Colpitts, Canada three generations in the patchwork quilt autumn leaves whistling wind a reflection of candles in the kitchen window Susan Constable, Canada loneliness autumn rain comes to me solitudine la pioggia d’autunno mi viene incontro Maria Concetta Conti, Italy autumn rain . . . the full moon cradled in a leaf Ellen Cooper, Canada Autumn morning among falling leaves shadow Basanta Kumar Das, India echoes of crows from the snowy woods blue twilight Shelly Deuel, USA mom’s languished face autumn leaf линее лицето на мама есенен лист Radostina Dragostinova, Bulgaria first snow the last flames of the fire about to go out Tom Drescher, Canada searching the sky for traces of my ancestors . . . winter stars Rebecca Drouilhet, USA Last snow. The sparrows remove flakes and petals. Última nieve. Los gorriones desprenden copos y pétalos. Juan Carlos Durilén, Argentina Winter twilight longing at the gate I and the moon Amurg de iarnă - la poarta dorului eu și luna Adina Enăchescu, Romania a fallen leaf on the empty feeder winter still Seren Fargo, USA butterflies barely touch the meadow . . . killing frost Donna Fleischer, USA an owl’s hoot just a nuance away – snow moon Lorin Ford, Australia frost possible the acidanthera’s bell draws in a wasp LeRoy Gorman, Canada late October the pear-tree saves for me only rain поздний октябрь груша бережёт для меня только дождь Irina Guliaeva, Russia sleepless night the winter wind finds a way inside uykusuz gece kış rüzgârı içerde bir yol buluyor Engin Gülez, Turkey finally rain sparrows in puddles puff out dust clouds John Hawkhead, UK in a leafless tree persimmons glisten . . . winter dreams 一棵无叶树， 柿子挂枝头。 闪闪发光趣， 冬天多梦幽。 David He, People’s Republic of China apple cider I take my first sip of October Diane Hemingway, USA winter reveals snug nest snow covered fuyu arawasu igokochi no yoi su yuki umare 冬表す 居心地のよい巣 雪うまれ Judith Hishikawa, USA cold soup the neverendigness of winter Louise Hopewell, Australia windblown leaves shadows chasing shadows across the moon sweeping leaves on a blustery day – chemo cycles Marilyn Humbert, Australia in the mailbox only yellow leaves – I’m still waiting în cutia de scrisori doar frunze galbene - eu încă aștept Letiţia Lucia Iubu, Romania mountain cabin coyote’s howl drifts into the New Year Jeanne Jorgensen, Canada though you won’t be the last please hold on tight – yellowed leaf Skylar Kay, Canada a newborn’s cry all the phases of the moon kjmunro, Canada sapsucker holes ring the bare trunk fallen apples Deborah P Kolodji, USA On the wet asphalt in step with me, a snail – towards autumn Pe asfaltul ud la pas cu mine, un melc – încolo, toamna Utta-Siegrid König, Romania moonstones mixing the dough with my hands Jessica Malone Latham, USA predawn stillness a red fox laps the autumn moon John Llewellyn Lewis, Canada watching moonrise wrapped in snow cement Buddha Kristen Lindquist, USA autumn morning a nameless hill in the haze јесење јутро безимени брежуљак у сумаглици Mile Lisica, Bosnia and Herzegovina face to face with a harvest moon the scarecrow 與秋收月 面對面 一個稻草人 Chen-ou Liu, Canada bittersweet vines I walk quietly between deer paul m., USA short days – my shadow stretches across the field hedgehog the deep sleep of winter trees Martha Magenta, UK me my shadow – solitude io la mia ombra solitudine Antonio Mangiameli, Italy frozen bird bath – a crow slipping across the moon jgheab înghețat – o cioară alunecă pe lună Andrei Manoliu, Romania northern lights no need for words norrsken inga ord nödvändiga Anna Maris, Sweden Winter afternoon Under a tiny sun the merry-go-round Tarde de invierno Bajo un sol diminuto la calesita Lía Miersch, Argentina winter solstice – a long conversation about the year Joanne Morcom, Canada winter night the sound of the heater and the clock Tim Murphy, Ireland/Spain Christmas Eve on the store window, a breath growing and fading autumn rain the weight of earth in my breath Indra Neil Mekala, India cloud hands – shoveling mounds of snow with t’ai chi Suzanne Niedzielska, USA milkweed seeds whirl in the wind first chemo rows of pumpkins in the drizzling rain a father and daughter the length of a sigh falling leaf Victor Ortiz, USA a fiddler in the cupola harvest moon kitchen girl before the doors open a row of bowls late-harvest corn a bin at the back for the needy Roland Packer, Canada fall equinox the tree replicates my palm lines Pravat Kumar Padhy, India night train – in every station the same moon tren de noapte – în fiecare stație aceeași lună Mihai Pascaru, Romania gathering acorns between heavy showers the jay’s morning casglu mes rhwng cawodydd trwm bore sgrech y coed Thomas Powell, Wales midnight alone in the whiteness a crow flaps down Carol Raisfeld, USA all hallows’ eve the white wisps of floating clouds Dian Duchin Reed, USA winding my alarm clock . . . winter wind Edward J. Rielly, USA leaves crinkle beneath his feet starlight Joan Marie Roberts, Canada emptying myself in the silence of moonlight Aron Rothstein, USA the violin I never got to play yellowing leaves Agnes Eva Savich, USA all my dreams not come true winter stars tous mes rêves non réalisés étoiles d'hiver Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland moonshine deeper shadows this harvest Susan Spooner, Canada caribou migration a river that wasn’t here yesterday Debbie Strange, Canada the stray dog’s new name a little gold left in the leaves Kyle Sullivan, Taiwan/USA misty afternoon someone’s dog leads the way home senja berkabut anjing milik seseorang menuntun pulang Agus Maulana Sunjaya, Indonesia autumn chill – through a scarlet oak the blood moon Andre Surridge, New Zealand morning fog – the vague shape of a leafless tree Angela Terry, USA yellow leaves the sky a fuller shade of blue storm breakers the wind and i all night Jennifer Thiermann, USA vespers – a flock of crows crossing the valley vecernie – un stol de ciori traversînd valea Maria Tirenescu, Romania grieving my hair wet with autumn mist Stephen Toft, UK first frost… I wrap hands around a child with mumps 初霜やおたふくの子の頬を手で包む Hatsushimo ya otafuku no ko no hō o te de tutsumu Norie Umeda, Japan October wind a scissor-tailed flycatcher still on the line Kevin Valentine, USA first autumn rain . . . we talk of coming back next year Michael Dylan Welch, USA moon the color of the stars we hold inside autumn rain the endless gratitude of trees J. Zimmerman, UK First Prize: this winter will I grow old harvest moon Sue Colpitts, Canada The poet registers the seemingly troublesome passage of the cycles of natural growth in a deep meditation on aging. Second Prize: hunter’s moon a span of duckboard beginning to sag paul m., USA The author has been here before. The boardwalk that he has experienced in a warmer season is now weathering, producing a sabi-filled haiku. Third Prize: a dire world this sunlight – still touching the last leaf teribleng mundo itong sikat ng araw – haplos pa rin ang huling dahon Ernesto P. Santiago, Philippines/Greece A redemptive moment in nature in troubling times. Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order) too small to reflect on the world day old moon Vera Constantineau, Canada my parents aging . . . all of Orion’s stars in the night sky Amelia Cotter, USA friend’s departure full moon reveals the path between the clouds Odlazak prijatelja. Pun mesec otkriva stazu između oblaka. Zoran Doderović, Serbia Autumn breeze. The falling leaves touch their shadows. Brisa de otoño. Las hojas al caer tocan sus sombras. Juan Carlos Durilén, Argentina autumnal colours falling away some part of myself Jenny Fraser, New Zealand Larches in autumn. The beauty of a world without people. Lärchen im Herbst. Die Schönheit einer Welt ohne Menschen. Volker Friebel, Germany deepening autumn a red dragonfly aligns with the wind jesen se poglablja rdeč kačji pastir se poravna z vetrom Polona Oblak, Slovenia the slow fade-out of a favorite song . . . autumn rain les dernières notes de ma chanson préférée . . . pluie d’automne Olivier Schopfer, Switzerland a different chill in the air this morning wild chanterelles Angela Terry, USA leaf fall . . . finding the way to say goodbye paghulog ng dahon . . . paghahanap ng paraan para magpaalam Christine L. Villa, USA/Philippines |
Editorial Staff:
Founder: Bruce Ross (d.2026) Editors: Astrid Andreescu Kristen Lindquist Art: Murray D. Ross (sumi-e) or Bruce Ross (Haiga) Archives
June 2026
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