Welcome to the April 2022 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
This month’s collection focuses on Things That Make Us Happy … small things, major things, long ago memories, and current moments.
Contributing poets are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
Wishing you a sense of peace and happiness as you read the following haiku . . . .
lakeside
breaking bread
with fishes
Adjei Agyei-Baah
i have breath this morning
ai li
at the cafe table
a woman and a small girl
mouth I LOVE YOU
Alan Bern
a mayfly
i breathe in the sky
for my moment
Alan Peat
adjusting the reading lamp buried in the snow forests of Narnia
Alan Summers
aunt’s lipstick print
on my cheek
I wear it to school
Alexis Rotella
under a tree
with birdsong
and a good book
Angela Giordano
clear sky beyond the roses the moon
Angiola Inglese
warm sun . . . i circle the old pear tree
Ann Carter
simple life
the vase is content
without flowers
Barbara Sabol
sabbath candles
my mother’s hands
gathering gold
Barrie Levine
as soon as the pond ice melts . . . peepers
Blue Waters
beach day
visiting the four corners
of my towel
Brad Bennett
beachcombing
the sudden glint
of ruby sea glass
Bryan D. Cook
birthday cake
the slice I eat
when everyone’s gone
Bryan Rickert
after breakfast
pairing this rock and that plant
time passes quickly
C. Robin Janning
party game —
popping
bubble wrap
Carol Judkins
crayons
waxy smell of a new
box of colors
Carole Johnston
alone time —
music replaces
the day’s noise
Carole MacRury
pounding heart
I land at the airport
of her city
Chen Xiaoou
summer breeze
my daughter dances to the rhythm
of rainbow bubbles
Chen-ou Liu
spring hammock
baby and I play
peekaboo
Christina Chin
great sky dreams on birds’ wings
Christina Martin
duvet
feeling safe
again
Christina Sng
the space
between you and me . . .
warmth of a dog
Christine L. Villa
whistling winds
our howls of laughter
telling jokes
Claire Vogel Camargo
outdoor cinema —
for a moment the flash
of a shooting star
Dan Iulian
sand furrows
new guitar strings imprint
my fingertips
Debbie Strange
slicing the apple
at its equator . . .
stargazing
Deborah Burke Henderson
campfire
after the hayride
marshmallows
Deborah P Kolodji
sharing a straw
in a bottle of Boom Boom Lemon
dream of Kyoto
Donna Fleischer
ocean cliff —
fastened to the fence
lovers’ locks
Elena Calvo
night fishing
listening to the music
of the Milky Way
Florin C. Ciobica
deep in the forest
surrounded by stillness
only a heartbeat
Frank Muller
catching the sun
the brilliant green
of a jewel bug
Geethanjali Rajan
89th birthday
my mom’s smile
when I walk in
Geoff Pope
twilight stroll . . .
exchanging smiles
the Ramadan moon and I
Hifsa Ashraf
morning cocoa
the sweet taste of
melting marshmallows
Jackie Chou
distant thunder —
bee balm trembling
in the breeze
Janice Doppler
final ascent
a sunrise reward
from the mountain’s top
Jay Friedenberg
time in a hammock watching the garden grow
Jill Lange
unknown phone number
probably a scam call —
no, a long-lost friend
Jim Mazza
my husband walks by
pausing to give
my shoulder a light caress
Joan Leotta
easing myself
inside a groove
of snow-drift stars
Joanna Ashwell
high desert fossils
asleep in ancient sea beds
I walk with oysters
Joel Savishinsky
sticky coins
I get change at
a child’s lemonade stand
John J. Dunphy
lunch on the patio
a cicada sings
the entire time
Jorge Alberto Giallorenzi
the slow movement
of clouds . . .
poppy fields
Julia Guzman
almost to South Dakota —
the excitement
of a blue barn
Julie Bloss Kelsey
one night
on the Gulf of Aqaba
the softest kiss
Karla Linn Merrifield
how jacarandas know
it’s jolly well time
to paint the world purple
Kath Abela Wilson
dune’s grassy hillocks
a few sea oats and my hands
scribbling at sunset
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
short day long nap
this old woman and
her old cat
kris moon
meteor shower
the night air thick
with wishes
Kristen Lindquist
high summer
all the raw mangoes
under our beds
Lakshmi Iyer
deep boom the ice lets go of the lake
Laurinda Lind
watermelon seeds
my son’s invention
of orbital patterns
Lorraine A Padden
the path to the country house . . . roses
Lucia Cardillo
after the heat
the relief . . .
petrichor
Madhuri Pillai
temporary lodging
sleeping with a pillow
from home
Marcie Wessels
half asleep my feet buried in the sand
Margaret Walker
sunshower
the kitchen window
open to freesias
Marietta McGregor
spring snow
baking bread
for the smell of it
Marilyn Ashbaugh
at midnight
the grandkids tell me
each star’s name
Marilyn Humbert
back home
all the roadside puddles
explored
Marta Chocilowska
a bit unkempt
this cottage garden
my inner life
Mary Kendall
lemon blossom
in my tea cup . . .
our first breakfast outdoors
Maya Daneva
the instructor asks
why are you here . . . I answer
tai chi makes me happy
Michael Flanagan
blazing sun
my father’s shadow
for shelter
Michael Gallagher
a walk in the woods
we toast her
first published poem
Michael G. Smith
homecoming —
gulmohar flowers greet me
at the village gate
Milan Rajkumar
laughing together
catching up on adventures
best friend on the phone
Mimi Foyle
my open notebook
the gentle breeze
brings a few petals
Mirela Brailean
I’d steal it
if I could — this view
of plum blossoms
Miriam Sagan
sharing breakfast
with a squirrel
rock doves coo
Neena Singh
shell collection
re-arranging
summers
Pat Davis
the estuary below
glints in the sun —
I read Basho
Paul Beech
running commentary —
sitting on my broad shoulders
my granddaughter
Paul Callus
sunrise
the second sunflower
in bloom next door
Pris Campbell
monarchs
chasing monarchs chasing
kids playing tag
Richard Matta
morning hike
becoming part of
the desert
Roberta Beach Jacobson
sunny day
a wasp tastes
everyone’s beer
Rosa Clement
sunrise through mist
my nose pulls lemon sweetness
from the yellow iris
Ruth Yarrow
lemon sorbet
summer at the tip
of my tongue
Sherry Grant
sharing
my good news
trumpet daffodil
Susan Burch
dad plants flowers
i pat down the earth
tucking them in
Teresa Bakota Yatsko
bedroom oasis . . .
playing finger cymbals
by candlelight
Theresa A. Cancro
watching a swamp muskrat
sharpen her teeth on a stick
before eating
Tina Wright
fedoras cool again taking selfies
Tom Bierovic
my playlist . . .
every one of the thousand
songs on shuffle
Tom Clausen
rough seas
you anchor
me
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
between
heaven and earth
the smell of sunflowers
Vibeke Laier
cousin reunion
I unearth
new old family secrets
Wilda Morris
safely home
a cup of tea . . .
this is my life now
Yvonne Fisher
jumping waves
laughing so hard
i swallow the ocean
Zee Zahava
Friday, April 1, 2022
haiku happiness
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
a haiku celebration of women and girls
Welcome to the March 2022 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal
Contributing poets are from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, India, Italy, Malaysia, Malta, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States
mother staying up
all night
when i was ill
ai li
around my wife a bright corona of burnt orange sunset
Alan Bern
grey hair and tie dye
fending off the present
with her fondue fork
Alan Peat
in dialect
grandma speaks to
her peonies
Alexis Rotella
a few days in May
the scent of roses —
I think of my mother
Angiola Inglese
carolina jasmine climbing a fence my mother’s gift
Ann Carter
water baby
my daughter runs toward
her first view of ocean waves
Antonia Matthew
spring equinox
my granddaughter and I
start our seeds
Barbara Kaufmann
perfectly seasoned
cabbage soup –
mom’s wooden spoon
Barbara Sabol
rose and jasmine
the scent of my aunts
in their names
Barrie Levine
hunkered in the sand
my granddaughter builds castles
for hermit crabs
Bryan Cook
polio survivor
mother says covid
won’t get her either
Bryan Rickert
writing together
twelve women calling on
the muses
Carole Johnston
granddaughter . . .
like mom and myself
sleeping in silk
Carole MacRury
sunlit lake
my niece jumps into the sound
of laughter
Chen-ou Liu
first lipstick
afraid to lick
my lips
Christina Chin
grandma chuckles
over the worm in the lettuce —
more protein
Christina Martin
beach day
my daughter picks
a seashell for me
Christina Sng
discovering my
poetry muse in the shower
midlife rescue
Claire Vogel Camargo
first kiss —
she tells me about
global warming
Dan Iulian
ice road
I weave blue ribbons
through mom’s hair
Debbie Strange
deep freeze —
nana warms my small face
with her hands
Deborah Burke Henderson
my teenage mother
the year she delivered mail
by horseback
Deborah P Kolodji
ice skating
our friendship bonded
with broken bones
Elena Calvo
spring fever
my mother puts on
a green dress
Florin C. Ciobica
backyard ballerina . . .
I’m Margot Fonteyn
showered with petals
Helen Buckingham
white peony
the subtlety
of my self-image
Hifsa Ashraf
sisters in pajamas
reading a fairy tale
— missing our mom
Janice Doppler
in 10th grade
the quiet teacher shares
haiku and Thoreau
Jill Lange
mom’s junk mail protest
postage-paid return envelopes
ten pounds of rice
Jim Mazza
hands of twenty women
palming drumskins for Ukraine
our shared heartbeats
Jo Balistreri
grandmother’s coats
now a quilt
protects me against the cold
Joan Leotta
believing
in my own magic . . .
drumming
Joanna Ashwell
a doll house a stage
she glues grass for her toy deer
makes its habitat
Joel Savishinsky
VFW post
its new commander stands tall
on her prosthetic legs
John J. Dunphy
Sunday services —
my daughter’s pink plastic ring
in the offertory
Julie Bloss Kelsey
a shoulder to cry on
wishing she were my mom . . .
aunty Jean
Karen Harvey
her wish for peace
my mother’s letters
to world leaders
Kath Abela Wilson
proud grandma
flexes her biceps
big as grandpap’s
Kathleen Kramer
all my ancestors
women birthing more women
an unbroken chain
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
independence day
my tween niece signs her name
with a sparkler
Kristen Lindquist
family album
great-grandmother
in a pink nightgown
Lakshmi Iyer
our playground
baseball star
my teacher nun
Laurinda Lind
RBG
the outspoken pattern
of a lace collar
Lorraine Padden
the sky is the limit . . .
I repeat mother’s words
to my daughter
Madhuri Pillai
breakfast
with my favorite aunt
Coke in glass bottles
Marcie Wessels
grandmama’s feedsack apron pockets of love
Margaret Walker
white handkerchiefs
the mothers and grandmothers
who never give up
Marianne Paul
the steadiness
of mother’s hand
first carousel ride
Marietta McGregor
riverside amble . . .
teaching my daughter
which herbs to pick
Marilyn Humbert
mom’s cookbook
the stained pages
take me back
Marta Chocilowska
snapshots
between eighteen and seventy
her constant smile
Michael Flanagan
first born —
we name our daughter
Rani, the queen
Milan Rajkumar
my grown-up daughter
fearless and vulnerable
as a wildflower
Mimi Foyle
turning 60 . . .
i feel more like ten
six-year-olds
Mirela Brailean
mother-in-law
the gap in her teeth
filled with light
Neena Singh
homemade dress
mama called it
custom-fit
Pat Davis
tending tomatoes
Gran relives her mill town youth
a lass on a loom
Paul Beech
Wilma Rudolph
the wind recalls in awe
her dash to fame
Paul Callus
never any gossip
or unkind words
my friend’s funeral
Pris Campbell
scenting the day
her scribbled notes
in my lunch box
Richard L. Matta
85th birthday —
almost all Mom’s potted plants
still in bloom
Robert Epstein
reminding me
of my femininity
Georgia O’Keeffe
Roberta Beach Jacobson
shooing the toddler
out of the abandoned mine —
halo of her hair
Ruth Yarrow
my old teacher
her death
a cello string snaps
Sherry Grant
my no cancer trophy a mammogrammy
Susan Burch
her hands create words
my sister unites
the deaf and the hearing world
Teresa Bakota Yatsko
warm meteorite . . .
grandma pockets
a star
Theresa A. Cancro
itself enough for
a family party
sister sally’s lasagna
Tina Wright
ninety years
each of Granny’s cocker spaniels
named “Honey”
Tom Clausen
sisters resting under
a cherry blossom tree
no need for words
Vibeke Laier
echo of Mother’s voice
in the kitchen
singing Back in the Hills
Wilda Morris
my sweetheart places
each flower in the vase
another act of love
Zee Zahava
Tuesday, February 1, 2022
one-line haiku
Welcome to the February 2022 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
This month there is no particular theme. Each poem is just one line long (or even a single word!) . . . revealing meaning and depth in a deceptively simple form.
Contributing poets are from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
tracing the snail’s trail moonlight
Adjei Agyei-Baah
the night air menu of roasted chestnuts
ai li
backing up on the car roof a cat
Alan Bern
rain spills into darkness now and then snow
Alan Peat
overgrown driveway the butterflies hold a fashion show
Alan Summers
shape of grandma rising dough
Alexis Rotella
in my pockets grains of sand from last year
Angela Giordano
moonlight on my hand a mantis
Angiola Inglese
black wheelbarrow balanced on its front edge to teach me a lesson
Ann Carter
small joys woodpeckers at the suet feeder again
Antonia Matthew
socked in for another day brain fog
Barbara Kaufmann
rearview mirror the homestead comes into focus
Barbara Sabol
shaking the down quilt out flies the mad cat
Barrie Levine
big heads on skinny necks tulips quietly defying gravity
Blue Waters
the bench’s shadow empty too
Brad Bennett
house move zen garden in sandbags
Bryan D. Cook
shrinking on a stone the crab-shaped wet spot
Bryan Rickert
brother’s birthday today I search for the moon
C. Robin Janning
whiteout the universe inside me
Carole MacRury
again and again wild strawberries
Caroline Skanne
his aloha shirt my migraine
Charles Trumbull
cuttlefish threatened collecting some ink
Chen Xiaoou
blizzardalonetogetherduringrushhour
Chen-ou Liu
the hand pump water trickles first poem
Christina Chin
desperate birdsong news just in
Christina Martin
dusty old diaries half-lost memories
Christina Sng
clothespin holding on to nothing
Christine L. Villa
broken shell the sting of each wave
Claire Vogel Camargo
starless night at a single window the insomniac light bulb
Dan Iulian
driving back home sweet chili chips
Daniela Misso
winds of change i take refuge inside myself
Debbie Strange
bees white iris wraps their wings in nightfall
Deborah Burke Henderson
winter wind weeds lean
Donna Fleischer
playing tennis the back and forth in my mind
Elena Calvo
mayflies rise at dusk last dance
Frank Muller
birthday hug grandma’s peppermint breath
Geethanjali Rajan
wobbling on one foot I tug on the other slipper
Glenn Ingersoll
scarecity
Helen Buckingham
social exclusion growing on the tree lichen
Hifsa Ashraf
timing my dash to a soft-boiled egg
Jack Goldman
what it takes to bend me bamboo
Jackie Chou
lonely day i get a call from a robot
Jay Friedenberg
snow falling all day long
Jill Lange
a long winter suddenly shorter violets in the snow
Jim Mazza
ill but not ill enough surgery delayed
Joan Leotta
escalator back and forth between us
Joanna Ashwell
a curled strand of her hair on my pillow crescent moon
Joe Sebastian
my granddaughter wears her cat as if it were a shawl
Joel Savishinksy
even the junk store’s sign cobwebbed
John J. Dunphy
never the same dance twice breakwater
Julie Bloss Kelsey
the beveled mirror of loneliness
Karla Linn Merrifield
ancient salt ponds on mars our mother’s tears
Kath Abela Wilson
new roof i miss the moss
Kathleen Kramer
two years from eighty a weighty birthday
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
night walk startled by the whiteness of a moth
kris moon
off in their own little world apple buds
Kristen Lindquist
dreaming on my own paperboat I sail
Lakshmi Iyer
ten thousand years the lake misses its glacier
Laurinda Lind
droplets of smudged sky Monet lilies
Lorraine A Padden
waking up the reflection in the mirror looks like my mother
Lucia Cardillo
not letting a word in cicadas
Madhuri Pillai
legos all her family together
Margaret Walker
seagullsssssskimmmmmmmingblueskyclouds
Marianne Paul
sliding into sea sliding into sea sliding
Marietta McGregor
more gulls than sea ebb tide
Marilyn Ashbaugh
river canyon swarm of swallows swoop from its mouth
Marilyn Fleming
blind-sided the silent swoop of nesting magpies
Marilyn Humbert
reflected light in the broken pane a spiderweb
Marta Chocilowska
saving face a little black mask with or without pearls
Mary Kendall
my hair whiter one snowflake at a time
Maya Daneva
a furry Buddha in fresh snow hobo cat greets the sun
Michael Flanagan
polite words of lost friendship
Michael Gallagher
car in the shop another book read
Michael G. Smith
long journey steamy windows introspection
Mimi Foyle
children’s room I rearrange memories
Mirela Brailean
dropping pebbles from the footbridge my daughter’s daughter
Miriam Sagan
raindrops raindrops raindrops worm raindrops raindrops
Nancy Shires
perch for the robin’s song snowman’s hat
Neena Singh
a corsage for myself just because
Pat Davis
cracked bindings a bibliophile’s sneeze
Paul Beech
bottom of the ravine my eyes swim upstream
Paul Callus
white swan somewhere a ballerina is missing
Pris Campbell
after party the lingering polite words
Richard L. Matta
visiting for the smell overstocked bookshop
Robert Epstein
waiting room reading the back of the sugar packet
Rosa Clement
nursing home forced forsythia
Ruth Yarrow
brushing snow from the day’s mail catalogs showing bathing suits
Sue Norvell
making googly eyes at him pet rock
Susan Burch
writing at dawn the shadow of my pencil on the blue-lined page
Teresa Yatsko
a fly trapped in revolving doors morning rush
Theresa A. Cancro
oh i have been the untamed river
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
comforting sight crows congregating in the winter oak
Tina Wright
shoe box or fireplace love letters
Tom Bierovic
a lucky penny where it landed
Tom Clausen
moon meditation in dreams the small stars grow
Vibeke Laier
after many years the wider shadow of the olive tree
Wieslaw Karlinski
in the apple tree picking our favorite branches
Wilda Morris
she turns the fan to face me this small act of tenderness
Zee Zahava
Saturday, January 1, 2022
morning haiku — from sunrise to noon
Welcome to the January 2022 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
The theme this month is morning.
Contributing poets are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
first bee
rolling dew
out of a flower
Adjei Agyei-Baah
that time of morning
when a biscuit
calls
ai li
a quiet morning
like all other mornings
in this wounding time
Alan Bern
dawn walk
the deer and i
equally startled
Alan Peat
Christmas morning
the cats wrap themselves
in ribbons
Alexis Rotella
morning
same clouds
as yesterday
Ana Drobot
dawn’s embrace just me and the last star
Angela Giordano
sun in my eyes
a rose opens
clothes are hanging on the line
Angiola Inglese
morning . . . the baby still hungry
I don’t look
in the bathroom mirror
Antonia Matthew
post-op walk
clouds take all morning
to cross the sky
Barbara Kaufmann
sunrise
coyote collects
his shadow
Barbara Sabol
Kokopelli
playing his flute
to the rising sun
Barbara Tate
morning chill
but i won’t turn up the heat
channeling dad
Barrie Levine
New Year’s Day —
the sun sleeps late
too
Bill Waters
once again
early morning dares to interrupt
my deepest sleep
Blue Waters
morning forecast
a blue jay feather
on the front stoop
Brad Bennett
morning dreams
interrupted
mourning doves
Bryan D. Cook
morning grey
dried to the spoon
an old teabag
Bryan Rickert
driving backroads
in the morning rain
all is calm
C. Robin Janning
what luck
these collards on the stove
new year’s morn
C.R. Harper
first light
pristine snow
on the path
Carol Judkins
solstice dawn
the first thing I read
haiku
Carole Johnston
feeling my age —
even before breakfast
I check the obits
Carole MacRury
dawn stirring sparrows
Caroline Skanne
the storm continues
I finish the whole pot
by noon
Charles Trumbull
snow geese
unzip the morning sky
my journey starts
Chen-ou Liu
dim sum breakfast
at the steamy table
small talk
Christina Chin
dark morning
still deeply steeped
in nightmares
Christina Sng
morning walk
feeling as relaxed
as a wet noodle
Claire Vogel Camargo
spider at dawn
builds
a wireless network
Dan Iulian
morning coffee —
my haiku mind
percolates
Deborah Burke Henderson
morning roar
of the juicer
winter oranges
Deborah P Kolodji
winter morning
a warm breath
on the orchid
Donna Fleischer
morning mist . . .
mom doesn’t remember
dad’s name
Florin C. Ciobica
morning tea —
sharing the verandah
with a ring-necked parrot
Geethanjali Rajan
slow morning
the steady hum
from the cast iron kettle
Hifsa Ashraf
first scribbles
in my new journal
morning bird songs
Jackie Chou
sixteen eyes
staring as I wake —
her stuffed animals
Janice Doppler
dawn light . . . each dune . . . slowly shape shifting
Jay Friedenberg
this morning too
mama dancing
with Frank Sinatra
Jill Lange
morning alarm clock
reset three times
then unplugged
Jim Mazza
fly fishing
at dawn in Montana
still outwitted by bass
Jo Balistreri
morning sun
reveals a gold ring
lost on last night’s walk
Joan Leotta
blown back
my evening prayer
repeated in morning light
Joanna Ashwell
e-subscription
my dog still searches for
the morning newspaper
John J. Dunphy
morning flowers
and the wavy shadow
of a centipede
Jorge Giallorenzi
morning video call —
mum asks me
to come back soon
Julia Guzman
early wake up call
the rooster
who lives next door
Kath Abela Wilson
my mug for morning tea
sports a spotted hen . . .
i call her dottie
Kathleen Kramer
cold foggy morning
only the geraniums
give my world color
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
grey morning
if only our paths
would cross again
kris moon
white dawn
a poem writes itself
in my head
Kristen Lindquist
morning . . .
i release the night
from my breath
Lakshmi Iyer
enough early sun
to make the ice lawn
look like quartz
Laurinda Lind
dew anoints a headstone angel
Lorraine A. Padden
mid morning
an eagle glides
around my lethargy
Madhuri Pillai
morning rush
make-up
at the red light
Margaret Walker
lotus opening
the sequence of my
sun salutation
Marilyn Fleming
eucalypt canopy
a koala stretches its paw
towards morning sun
Marilyn Humbert
sunny morning
the snowman loosens
his scarf
Marta Chocilowska
cars awash
with cherry blossoms . . .
first light
Mary Kendall
even the chipped mug
looks beautiful
this rainy morning
Maya Daneva
in the snow
and silence of the morning
a black cat tiptoes
Michael Flanagan
early morning the ambling magic of mushrooms
Michael Gallagher
slow rising sun
I beat the birds
to the feeders
Michael G. Smith
i walk with doughnuts
into an orange sunrise
vivid as wildfire
Mimi Foyle
blackbird’s song begins with the sun’s first rays
Mirela Brailean
early morning reading the Torah no bees yet in the bee balm
Miriam Sagan
breakfast surprise
the wren and i
face to face
Nancy Shires
morning ritual
brewing basil tea
a haiku bubbles
Neena Singh
old postman
my morning mail
and a tip of his hat
Pat Davis
crime fiction my perfect start to the day
Paul Beech
hungry eyes
four feral cats pace waiting
for breakfast
Pris Campbell
street fish market
the salty taste
of morning traffic
Richard L. Matta
sunny morning
I lose my shadow
in the grove
Rosa Clement
morning fog
the screech of
bus tyres
Sherry Grant
morning lurches on
the cat remains unconvinced
of most ideas
Stacey Murphy
stunning red sunrise
forecast of coming snowfall
please . . . some deep, deep drifts
Sue Norvell
black crow caw-cawing
the only thing between me
and a morning nap
Teresa Yatsko
blueberries tumbling in the colander my morning plans
Theresa A. Cancro
morning clouds
i pull the night
back into my bones
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
winter milking
popping outside a minute
to see the rising sun
Tina Wright
sunrise
one stone buddha blinks
to another
Tom Clausen
quiet morning
a scarecrow greets
the farmer
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
this little crack
to let morning light into
my favourite poem
Vibeke Laier
last dawn
at the hospital window
jasmine blooms
Wieslaw Karlinski
stirring oatmeal for us kids
dad remembers
cooking for the troops
Wilda Morris
another gray morning
walking for miles
searching for the sun
Yvonne Fisher
early morning walk
meeting a squirrel
with a great sense of humor
Zee Zahava
milkshake
for breakfast
bananas everywhere
Zoe Grant
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
night haiku — from sunset to sunrise
Welcome to the December 2021 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
The theme this month is night.
Contributing poets are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
torn net . . .
a mosquito takes half
of my night
Adjei Agyei-Baah
asleep
on the lawn
under venus
ai li
dream of a song
that devours itself
letter-by-letter nightly
Alan Bern
silent night
the high street strung
with last year’s stars
Alan Peat
35 light-years wide the Pleiades picks out my torch
Alan Summers
stars
I wish I were
free to fall
Alexis Rotella
foggy night
I draw the moon
on the train’s window
Ana Drobot
night scribbling
waiting for my baby
to sleep
Angela Giordano
rainy night
the rhythmic drip
of the faucet
Angiola Inglese
in the dark
remembering to replace
the porch light
Barbara Sabol
sleeper seats
brushed velvet
in the long blue night
Barrie Levine
you come and go
as you please . . .
fickle moon
Bill Waters
atop leafless trees
staring into the night
a parliament of owls
Blue Waters
a mouthful
of chocolate cake
longest night
Brad Bennett
crossword puzzles
and ice-cream wrappers
insomniac
Bryan Cook
finals week
the all-nighter
of crickets
Bryan Rickert
another cold night
echoing sound of wind chimes
up and down the street
C. Robin Janning
midnight
Deimos and Phobos
encircle
C.R. Harper
lights out
on the night train
melancholy moon
Carol Judkins
barking at
the hooligan moon
rebel dog
Carole Johnston
city blackout
we map our favorite
constellations
Carole MacRury
howling wind
a child sings
herself to sleep
Caroline Skanne
chill March night
the shrill whistle
of the teapot
Charles Trumbull
jump shots
on a broken hoop . . .
late night drizzle
Chen-ou Liu
footsteps
wooden clogs
night market
Christina Chin
late night
my cat and I prowl
for intruders
Christina Sng
clouds in a glass of beer one-night stand
Christine L. Villa
the night hours
when fever peaks
and breaks
Claire Vogel Camargo
moonlight
between shores a swan
ripples the silence
Dan Iulian
moonless night
a cat’s shadow
lost in fog
Daniela Misso
moonlight glints
on a trace of silver
a snail’s journey
Deborah Burke Henderson
as the sun sets I rest
Edna S. Brown
winter solitude
the comfort of tiny stars
on a dark night
Eufemia Griffo
night train
the moon travels
without a ticket
Florin C. Ciobica
in the earth’s shadow Buddha’s moon
Geethanjali Rajan
night chill
counting the holes
in my socks
Hifsa Ashraf
in college i roomed
with a young astronomer
impatient for night
Jack Goldman
autumn moon
that first bite
of bean paste
Jackie Chou
fingers
tracing the dipper
one large one small
Janice Doppler
bedtime stories
deep in closet shadows
the bogeyman waits
Jay Friedenberg
that summer night
on the lakeshore
counting shooting stars
Jill Lange
sleepless sunday night
garbage trucks compete
with street sweepers
Jim Mazza
the owl’s wings a midnight ostinato
Jo Balistreri
three a.m.
summer and winter
I wake to darkness
Joan Leotta
you and I
so much to say
the night rain
Joanna Ashwell
moonless night
father and son converse
in monosyllables
Joe Sebastian
our yard’s sundial
several hours off
in moonlight
John J. Dunphy
moonless night
walking the trail
I stumble over a root
Jorge Giallorenzi
a winged box kite:
the night his soul
flew free . . .
Julie Bloss Kelsey
unwrapping
the night sky
Milky Way
Karen Harvey
midnight bloom viewing
we invite the neighbors
to a pajama party
Kath Abela Wilson
I don’t need a lamp
tonight’s moon reveals my pen
moving on the page
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
new moon
a long night alone
in the guest room
Kristen Lindquist
night . . .
owls waiting their turn
to hoot at enemies
Lakshmi Iyer
sleepless grandma weaves a long story into my scarf
Laughing waters
recurring dream
again i don’t
save anyone
Laurinda Lind
this indigo night
I dig into
another crime novel
Lorraine Padden
autumn night
only the moon’s smile
at the window
Lucia Cardillo
rooftop shenanigans
keeping me awake
neighborhood possums
Madhuri Pillai
midnight blue mascara on his shirt
Margaret Walker
fado music
permeates the air
mournful moon
Marilyn Fleming
midnight stroll
my feet scattering
starlight
Marilyn Humbert
late night plaza
a red-and-white suit
on the empty throne
Mark Miller
lonely night
warming herself up
by the kettle
Marta Chocilowska
night flight
the toddler’s effort to touch
the stars
Maya Daneva
in the darkness our candle reveals the soft rain
Michael Flanagan
tipple at sundown
darkness creeping up
the tilted glass
Michael Gallagher
last train
to the airport
red-eye flight
Michael G. Smith
nocturnal weather
cloudy with a chance of stars
frogs sing about sex
Mimi Foyle
campfire
a few sparks
in Ursa Major
Mirela Brailean
midnight phantom
beside the bed —
luminescent moth
Nancy Shires
winter chill
the drag of his slippers
into the night
Neena Singh
twilight
a fading constellation
of hot air balloons
Pat Davis
ball lightning
stitching the black night blue . . .
a smell of sulphur
Paul Beech
odes to the moon
crumpled paper
fills the floor
Pris Campbell
night walk . . .
my shifty shadow
sole companion
Richard L. Matta
late night
I let the spider sleep
in the bathroom
Rosa Clement
binoculars:
earth’s shadow on the moon
trembling
Ruth Yarrow
before sunrise
your side of the bed
still cold
Sherry Grant
night in Yosemite stars elbow each other for room in the summer sky
Sue Norvell
chicken pox explosion
ten itchy girls
at a sleepover party
Teresa Bakota Yatsko
gibbous moon
a new
old-age spot
Theresa A. Cancro
my late wife knew the
constellations but now
night skies are only stars
Tina Wright
sleeping alone my inner night light
Tom Clausen
midnight sky
we connect the stars
to form our initials
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
half moon
the silence of
a lost letter
Vibeke Laier
full moon
illuminates the garden
yesterday’s laundry
Wieslaw Karlinski
awakened in the night
by his snoring . . .
thankful he is alive
Wilda Morris
night falls early
all dressed up
nowhere to go
Yvonne Fisher
nearly dawn
this old house belches
and goes back to sleep
Zee Zahava
Monday, November 1, 2021
body haiku
Welcome to the November 2021 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
The theme this month is body haiku
Contributing poets are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
lazy afternoon
grandpa lets us play
with his Adam’s apple
Adjei Agyei-Baah
eye contact
he was saying
we are kindred
ai li
thinking about seeds in my dry hand the last ones blow off
Alan Bern
half moon pose —
everyone laughs
at the wobbling leg
Alan Peat
cloud-entangled bedclothes a secret of arms and legs night shining
Alan Summers
shoulder to shoulder
strangers enter the subway
unmasked
Alexis Rotella
beating hearts our first night together
Ana Drobot
pumpkin cream
sweet loneliness
on my tongue
Angela Giordano
bee sting —
on my aching hand
fresh ginger
Angiola Inglese
the ditch after a summer rain red mud oozing between my toes
Ann Carter
ringing doorbell
mother pinches my cheeks
before a first date
Barbara Kaufmann
pile of bathing suits —
tossing her body
to the fitting room floor
Barrie Levine
flip-flops in October —
the sparkle of
her toenails
Bill Waters
euphonium
my lips on the mouthpiece
breath becomes music
Blue Waters
lamplight yellows my midnight skin
Brad Bennett
pebble beach
my toes clutching
infinity’s edge
Bryan Rickert
these feet
slow to remember the dance . . .
hesitate
C. Robin Janning
rising
bread dough —
my belly fat
Carol Judkins
death poem . . .
all my scars
come with me
Carole MacRury
dusklight
looking for the pen
behind my ear
Caroline Skanne
turning up her nose
at the dog
turning up his leg
Charles Trumbull
end of summer
the scent of ocean
still in her hair
Chen-ou Liu
children
imitate tattoo
henna on their toes
Christina Chin
49th birthday
barely enough hair
for a ponytail
Christina Sng
a little fairy
with pink glitter on her face
first doorbell ring
Claire Vogel Camargo
autumn sky
filling my eyes
with clouds
Daniela Misso
cheek to cheek Valentine’s Day tango
Deborah Burke Henderson
fanning out
our fingers
nail salon
Deborah P Kolodji
flea market
I constantly scratch
my beard
Florin C. Ciobica
doctor’s visit
grandma’s frail fingers
tighten on my wrist
Geethanjali Rajan
first baking —
on the kitchen window
her moonlit handprints
Hifsa Ashraf
first date
he notices the dirt
under my nails
Jackie Chou
river bend
the smooth curve of stone
against my palm
Jay Friedenberg
awakening to warmth
little cat is curled
against my back
Jill Lange
pulling in my belly
hurts my back —
better round than achy
Jim Mazza
my nose rejects
your perfume
forgive me as I change seats
Joan Leotta
odd how my
fingernails
curl under
Joan McNerney
if only
my shadow’s finger
could link with another
Joanna Ashwell
barefoot in the creek —
minnows scatter
under the rocks
Joe Sebastian
VA hospital
two veterans arm-wrestle
with prosthetic limbs
John J. Dunphy
her bent back —
grandmother blows out
her birthday candles
Jorge Giallorenzi
how I learned
to wiggle my nose
our pet rabbit
Kath Abela Wilson
purple-red —
the bruise on my hand
confirms my years
Kathleen Kramer
my old lap cat
now leans against my bare feet
rubbing her own ears
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
autumn deepens
i see the world
in a friend’s eyes
kris moon
saltwater farm
the wind in my hair
when I was a horse
Kristen Lindquist
systole & diastole . . .
heart beats in pace
with the clock’s tick
Lakshmi Iyer
my thefts, age three
Mounds bar in one hand
Baby Ruth in the other
Laurinda Lind
bone scan
a long smile detected
in the office light
Lovette Carter
autumn photo . . .
with my fingers I caress
his memory
Lucia Cardillo
lying again the twitch in his eye
Madhuri Pillai
eyelids droop
near the end
of the chapter
Margaret Walker
small act of kindness
a doctor stoops
to pull socks on my feet
Marianne Paul
eightieth birthday
my aunt dyes her hair
with cold black tea
Marietta McGregor
head over heels sakura
Marilyn Ashbaugh
haiku dream —
fingers tapping
the bed sheet
Marilyn Fleming
the curve
in his spine weeding
sickle moon
Marilyn Humbert
lonely vacation
a new supply of back scratchers
from the gift shop
Marta Chocilowska
long to-do list
first I stretch
my shoulders
Maya Daneva
your cold feet on a winter’s night I miss the most
Michael Flanagan
vaccine shot
sore arm
the leaves pile up
Michael G. Smith
a miracle
to walk freely on both legs
unencumbered
Mimi Foyle
the steady beat of my heart
up to the top —
mountain view
Mirela Brailean
around my neck
papa’s old muffler
winter warmth
Neena Singh
wrinkle free
her ninety-year-old
smile
Pat Davis
my apprentice days
in a tough trade —
skinned knuckles
Paul Beech
broken shoulder
the embarrassment
of bathroom visits
Pris Campbell
flowery dress
a butterfly lands
on my right arm
Rosa Clement
turning
my deaf ear to the pillow
sudden robin song
Ruth Yarrow
snoring —
the waves rise
on dad’s belly
Sherry Grant
vision loss
another traffic camera
I thought was a bird
Susan Burch
gnarled fingers tracing gold kintsugi
Theresa A. Cancro
upon my eyelashes
the remnants
of forgotten stars
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
my friend in her eighties
cursing her thumbs
adjusting her bike helmet
Tina Wright
ice cream jingle
untangling her feet
from a jump rope
Tom Bierovic
my tongue
explores the space
missing tooth
Tom Clausen
wellness exam
the doctor says
I lack a funny bone
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
mother’s herbarium
touching the first violet with
my fingertips
Vibeke Laier
gloves
hide her scarred hands —
first snow
Vladislav Hristov
hot sand
from hand to hand
summer passes
Wieslaw Karlinski
itchy nose
he sneezes
himself awake
Wilda Morris
your hands
so much like my grandmother’s hands . . .
i fell in love with you
Zee Zahava
Friday, October 1, 2021
numbers
Welcome to the October 2021 issue of brass bell: a haiku journal.
The theme this month is numbers.
Contributing poets are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States
dark river
2 beavers play
in the moon spot
Adjei Agyei-Baah
spring migration
2 herons hurry
to catch up
Adjei Agyei-Baah
1967
a flower child
asleep in the meadow
ai li
sisters
the 2 of us
so unlike mother
ai li
3 trees
behind
3 trees
Alan Bern
3 old trees
a bald man scratches
his brow
Alan Bern
434 species of seabird
1 stole
my sandwich
Alan Peat
his stick and her arm
2 old trees
leaning together
Alan Peat
50 percent
of my happiness —
your smile
Ana Drobot
the clock strikes 12
my daughter celebrates
her 24th birthday
Angela Giordano
autumn wind
1 gray hair falls
with the leaves
Angela Giordano
convalescence —
2 steps with butterflies
in the tall grass
Angiola Inglese
37 years
all that changes is
our hair color
Ann Carter
I name them once again
Kate John Mike Fran Tom
I really raised all 5?
Antonia Matthew
3 shakes of chili powder
and 2 blankets —
first frost
Barbara Sabol
interstate 15
on my way to Vegas
wondering who I’ll be
Barbara Tate
afternoon shadow
his only chance to be
6 feet tall
Barbara Tate
at the shelter
love at first sight I adopt
2 kittens
Barbara Tate
1980s attire
the weight
of shoulder pads
Barrie Levine
childhood phone #
LI 3-3033
wired in me
Barrie Levine
the countless times
i dream of you
my best 40 years
Barrie Levine
that perilous switch
on the 8 and 9 . . .
hopscotch grid
Barrie Levine
6 p.m.
this morning’s tea
cold in the cup
Bill Waters
my 74th birthday
the crossword puzzle
easily solved
Blue Waters
10 stoplights long
my daughter’s rambling
apology
Bryan Rickert
all-day hike
5 miles in we find
our silence
Bryan Rickert
20th anniversary
the way she dresses up
the leftovers
Bryan Rickert
1/2 off
navigating
the aisles
C.R. Harper
college professor
wraps up his quarter-hour talk
in 50 minutes
Charles Trumbull
in the back 40
60 years
of automotive history
Charles Trumbull
3.4 seconds
between each of her
snores
Charles Trumbull
2 for 1 . . . 3 for 1
the melon vendor’s mask
under his chin
Chen-ou Liu
hush of early snow
1 more white lie
added to her complaints
Chen-ou Liu
2 folded hands
the praying mantis
quietly preys
Christina Chin
late bloomers
in the new jade vase
7 autumn roses
Christina Chin
9 p.m. i tap
the nooks and crannies
where crickets chirp
Christina Chin
spider —
dewdrops on
its 500th web
Christina Martin
crick in my neck —
a small tear
on page 125
Christina Martin
age 7
I wonder
why I exist
Christina Sng
I keep to
even numbers
10 ear piercings
Christina Sng
what have I
gotten myself into
1200 piece jigsaw
Christina Sng
bedtime after
our evening walk
the dog’s 2 circles
Claire Camargo
inside a pocket
of an old Carnival dress . . .
1,000 lire
Daniela Misso
our deaf Dalmatian more than 101 negative spaces
Debbie Strange
miniature forest
in a clump of moss . . .
1 red berry
Deborah Burke Henderson
dry run
3 big yellow buses
practice their routes
Deborah Burke Henderson
ocean spray
4 sets of sneakers
left on the beach
Deborah P Kolodji
cactus garden
600,000 needles reflected
in the afternoon sun
Deborah P Kolodji
on the porch
3 peanut shells
wet with squirrel spit
Glenn Ingersoll
sardines:
omega-3
killer key
Helen Buckingham
evening timepass
refilling the pill box
in 2 hours
Hifsa Ashraf
lemon water
pondering the weight
of 5 calories
Jackie Chou
crow caw
pressing the walk button
for the 5th time
Jackie Chou
birthday email from mom
counting the 10 extra
exclamation marks
Jay Friedenberg
old barn
the weathered wood
of 100 seasons
Jay Friedenberg
steady rain
2 lovers
1 umbrella
Jay Friedenberg
today . . .
2 perfect pumpkins
pick me
Jill Lange
a yard full of trees
and no 2 spaced
to hold a hammock
Jill Lange
my mother has fallen again
now even 1 step
is too many
Jim Mazza
23 missed calls —
new cell phone
user error
Jim Mazza
in the spiral
of the antique rose
1 blue damselfly
Jo Balistreri
all 206 bones ache —
colorful leaves
cold rain
Joan Leotta
eyes beginning
to droop . . . it must
be 9 p.m.
Joan McNerney
“1 more thing”
I asked as the doctor
hurried away
Joan McNerney
he loves me
he loves me not
1 petal remaining
Joanna Ashwell
0347
his lucky lottery number
the time of his father’s death
John J. Dunphy
-248
I show my wife
our checking account balance
John J. Dunphy
claff . . . claff . . . claff . . .
slowly 2 horses
cross the river
Jorge Alberto Giallorenzi
noon
2 sparrows taking a sand bath
in a flower pot
Julia Guzman
4 years ago
at a truck stop in Kansas . . .
5 plastic palm trees
Julie Bloss Kelsey
in the basket
marked “lonely” . . .
67 unmatched socks
Julie Bloss Kelsey
lucky peace doves
how mother folded
her $2 bills
Kath Abela Wilson
2021
the planetary year of
get well soon
Kath Abela Wilson
at the bottom of my purse
2 tubes of lipstick
unused since i retired
Kathleen Kramer
1940s photograph
my mother
sultry smoky beautiful
Kathleen Kramer
3 teeth remaining
grandma takes her time
with the chicken wing
Kathleen Kramer
for her school picture
my kid holds up 5 fingers
such a big girl now
Katya Sabaroff Taylor
3rd eye
found in the depths
of a moon flower
kris moon
20-year-old dried flowers
the restaurant menu
hasn’t been changed either
kris moon
71
seems like 10 years older
than 70
kris moon
90th birthday
grandpa stretches
his yoga mat
Lakshmi Iyer
1000 lotus petals
the sun shines equally
on each of them
Lakshmi Iyer
2nd time i’ve dreamed of her
my neighbor
who swears at her kids
Laurinda Lind
25 strings
the guzheng plucked
under a blue moon
Lisbeth Ho
uprising
500 monarchs
take over a tree
Lorraine A. Padden
1 red sock and 1 green
the smiles behind
the masks
Madhuri Pillai
1,000000 hairs
on the floor —
my dog’s revenge
Madhuri Pillai
my paintbox
56 shades
the watercolor blue
Margaret Walker
shrinking violets
1 inch shorter than
I used to be
Marianne Paul
pricking out
lettuce seedlings . . .
3 observant slugs
Marietta McGregor
Beethoven’s 9th
a locked-down city
opens for picnics
Marietta McGregor
crisp morning
1 dough ball
refusing to rise
Marilyn Ashbaugh
1 tick
on a ferral kitten
autumn deepens
Marilyn Ashbaugh
morning catch
6 rainbow trout
in the bucket
Marilyn Humbert
the farmer’s smile
12 bags of wheat
per acre
Marilyn Humbert
3 a.m.
the road train’s rumble
the length of our town
Mark Miller
garden chess game
1 black pawn beats the white queen
in a rainstorm
Marta Chocilowska
rainy autumn
10 clumsy fingers
on the keyboard
Marta Chocilowska
10,000 leaves
my first primer
of tanka
Marta Chocilowska
11 p.m.
I give my pen
some rest
Maya Daneva
52 years, 8 months, 10 days, 12 hours
a long time yet not
a lifetime together
Michael Flanagan
up at 6 a.m.
to watch a soccer match
6 hours in the future
Michael Flanagan
2 label-less cans
left on the
food bank shelf
Michael G. Smith
outside my kitchen
8 expectant irises
greet the new morning
Mimi Foyle
coming up to noon
parking lot with 8 food trucks
tummy rumbles
Mimi Foyle
5 o’clock
the sound of grandma sipping
from grandpa’s cup
Mirela Brailean
last cranes . . .
I stop counting
after 17
Mirela Brailean
marigold tea
in a watering can
16-month-old child
Miriam Sagan
barefoot at 5 a.m.
lunar eclipse, nothing
in the mailbox
Miriam Sagan
on the leafless branch
1 desolate kite
flutters in the wind
Neena Singh
storyteller . . .
5-year-old grandson
pauses for breath
Neena Singh
1,000,000,000 stars
the human obsession
with counting the unknown
Pat Davis
116 facebook pals
the electricity
that binds us
Pat Davis
blood sugar up 2.2
I shouldn’t have eaten
the cream cake
Paul Beech
western roll . . .
I clear the bar at 5 feet
a schoolboy gymnast
Paul Beech
75 pence —
my 1st magazine cheque
kept as a souvenir
Paul Beech
99 years
I accidentally invert
the birthday cake candles
Pris Campbell
1 loose baby tooth
mother ties a line
to the doorknob
Pris Campbell
my birthday flowers
they too last only
1 day
Rosa Clement
my arms barely curve —
800 rings farther in
the great cedar’s core
Ruth Yarrow
3 taillights
around the mountain curve —
Orion!
Ruth Yarrow
uneasy wind
after 1 ring I lift the phone
his death
Ruth Yarrow
scavenger hunt
at a 2nd-hand shop
mum’s first novel
Sherry Grant
17 fruit flies . . . 9 fruit flies . . .
now 3 . . .
but not yet 0
Sue Norvell
2+2=5
he tries to convince me
he isn’t cheating
Susan Burch
baggage carousel . . .
my legs still trembling
at 35,000 feet
Theresa A. Cancro
adding up bills
my no. 2 pencil
breaks
Theresa A. Cancro
childhood flashback —
1 nickel in the slot
3 gumballs
Theresa A. Cancro
paris welcome —
chanel no. 5
on each cheek
Theresa A. Cancro
37 years
how long it took
to love myself
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
1st kiss
how quickly the universe
expands
Tiffany Shaw-Diaz
our 4-H club
head heart hands and health
not a bad mantra even now
Tina Wright
$300 per night —
we gather up
the toiletries
Tom Bierovic
winter rain
2 cocoa packets
per cup
Tom Bierovic
farm auction
the crystal door knob
brings 3 dollars
Tom Bierovic
in the park
a monarch lands on my watch
2:37 p.m.
Tom Clausen
her family photos
arranged on the piano
0 of her husband
Tom Clausen
out of all of them out there
I come home with
only 1 tick
Tom Clausen
1 jigsaw
piece is lost —
a death
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
5 o’clock tea
the child arranges the table
for her 10 dolls
Vibeke Laier
1st frost
blurs your name
on the tombstone
Wieslaw Karlinski
with grandmother and 3 aunts
laughing together
shelling peas
Wilda Morris
today’s mail
13 not-for-profits
vie for my donation
Wilda Morris
bee sting
I itch for 1 week
last days of summer
Yvonne Fisher
50 people dancing
to zydeco music
outside in the autumn light
Yvonne Fisher
4 in the morning
alone with my worries
and the broken moon
Zee Zahava
her gift to me
a drawing of 3 houseplants
i don’t have to water
Zee Zahava
in the dream
packing 2 suitcases for London
no clothes . . . only books
Zee Zahava