By Mirela Brăilean

trick or treat...

candies from last year

in my old coat

Mirela Brăilean

By Roberta Beach Jacobson

monster moon

Halloween closer

than you think

Roberta Beach Jacobson

By Vipanjeet Kaur

early dawn —

the sun dispels

the gloom of night.

Vipanjeet Kaur

By Robert Witmer

an angel

knitting lace

snowflakes

Robert Witmer

By Priti Khullar

anniversary gift

he gets my

annotated book

Priti Khullar

By Helen Ogden

my long walk

through coastal fog

disappearing blues

Helen Ogden

By Mark Scott

city traffic

a flycatcher goes

unnoticed

Mark Scott

By Rob McKinnon

poplar trees…

strange fruit swinging

in the breeze

Rob McKinnon

By Amoolya Kamalnath

plastic trash –

the sea's belly

explodes daily

Amoolya Kamalnath

 

*

 

temple festival

all over the town

Amoolya Kamalnath

By Goran Lowie

old love letters

my lips drinking

the words

Goran Lowie

By Kim Klugh

near empty feeder

sparrows throw seeds

of discontent

Kim Klugh

By G.R. LeBlanc

after the funeral

the laughter

of small children

G.R. LeBlanc

By Roberta Beach Jacobson

when they retire

do they keep their rulers

nuns

Roberta Beach Jacobson

By Mike Gallagher

two crows

homeward bound

two nuns

Mike Gallagher

By anne morrigan

in ador—

    timid

        —ation

anne morrigan

By Anna Cates

sometimes a wish

becomes a butterfly

becomes a dragon

Anna Cates

Cold Moon Journal's 2023 Pushcart Prize Nominations (for Poetry)

Congratulations to these six talented poets:

Orrin PréJean

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/07/by-orrin-prejean_15.html

H.A. Sappho

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/04/by-h-sappho.html

Jay Friedenberg

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/04/by-jay-friedenberg.html

Bisshie

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/09/by-bisshie.html

Mike Gallagher

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/09/by-mike-gallagher.html

Keith Evetts

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/07/by-keith-evetts_3.html

 

Final selection notices will be in the (postal) mail to editors in April of 2023. All winning poets receive a free copy of the annual print anthology.

By A.J. Anwar

hot breeze—

rumors travel beyond

borders
 

A.J. Anwar

By Hassane Zemmouri

railway—

pupils waving to

strange travelers

Hassane Zemmouri

By Kerry J Heckman

sitting 

across from buddha

sitting
 

Kerry J Heckman

By Pris Campbell

mornings

without birdsong

barred, too

from words of love

as my deafness deepens

Pris Campbell

By Chris Langer

the spotted dragonfly

in turn

spots me

Chris Langer

By Rupa Anand

paddy cut—

he anoints his sickle

with sandalwood paste

Rupa Anand

 

(veneration of instruments used in harvesting is common in India)

By Agus Maulana Sunjaya

wrestling

with the starless sky

an old windmill

Agus Maulana Sunjaya

*

 

our talk

getting heavier

autumn rain

Agus Maulana Sunjaya

By Simon De Courcey

no footprints –

just the clacking gossip

of grey pebbles

Simon De Courcey

By Patricia Furstenberg

old wooden door

like a pining widow

hugged by sunset

Patricia Furstenberg

By Bonnie J Scherer

haiku poetry — arranged marriage with a happy ending

Bonnie J Scherer

*

 

climate change

debated — while the

baked Alaska melts


Bonnie J Scherer

By Gail Brooks

oppressive

summer heat and fires

preparation

for the after-life or

a consequence of neglect?

Gail Brooks

By Susanna Gilbert

Black-Eyed Susans cling

To muddy ditch bank haven.

And wink a goodbye.

Susanna Gilbert

                                           Photo c. Susanna Gilbert

By Maya Daneva

stronger in the mist…

the rhythm of soldiers’ steps

nearing the liquor store

Maya Daneva

*

 

tap, tap, tap…

this summer rain becomes

autumn

Maya Daneva

By Elancharan Gunasekaran

tank tracks

a sapling salutes

the sun

Elancharan Gunasekaran

*
 

light as spring breeze rat scratches a landmine


Elancharan Gunasekaran

By Stephen Jarrell Williams

night song

unaware of the city

listening
 

Stephen Jarrell Williams

By JL Huffman

crows caw calling

crack open the dawn

stillness shattered

JL Huffman

By Tuyet Van Do

daily walk–

his fur baby

brings along Pooh


Tuyet Van Do

*

 

 

half-eaten melon

hanging on the vine

unanswered questions

Tuyet Van Do

By René Bohnen

handful of almonds

bittersweet morsels –

book review

René Bohnen

*

 

a fig tree

on google maps

hides your house

René Bohnen

By Chen-ou Liu

river's edge ...

the rippling winter moon

and a white-haired man

Chen-ou Liu

By John Pappas

on both sides

of the tracks –

burial ground

John Pappas

By Katja Fox

end of summer –

birds and i

in muted tones

Katja Fox

*

 

 

language barrier –

so much laughter yet

so utterly alone

Katja Fox

By Madeleine Vinluan

much to talk about

when seasons change

Madeleine Vinluan

By Maria Teresa Piras

October moon –

the shadow of a farewell

that comes and goes

Maria Teresa Piras

By Ram Chandran

narrow country path

I give way

to stray cattle

Ram Chandran

By Joseph P. Wechselberger

busy diner

the waitress splashes coffee

in my saucer


Joseph P. Wechselberger

By Daipayan Nair

greeting card –

my thoughts

need more space

Daipayan Nair

By Douglas J. Lanzo

scent of mint

morning mist rising

over bamboo tea house

Douglas J. Lanzo

By Meera Rehm

measuring

the rain. . .

blackbird song


Meera Rehm

*

 

accepting

as i am. . .

heirloom eggplant


Meera Rehm

*

 

wherever i see

a river. . .

mother's voice


Meera Rehm

By Eavonka Ettinger

unable to stop

putting my finger in the

mouths of snapdragons

Eavonka Ettinger

By Herb Tate

toad

          leaf

       toad

Herb Tate

By Ingrid Baluchi

man and beast

how rich the color

of turned earth

Ingrid Baluchi

*

 

sandstorm

the screech

of a rusty windmill

Ingrid Baluchi

*

 

overnight rain

the pure magic

of a pixie ring

 

Ingrid Baluchi

By Refika Dedić

mushroom

shivering under the leaves

winter

Refika Dedić

By Colette Kern

no secrets

despite the curtains –

emergency room

Colette Kern

*

 

lose me in the

black hole of the universe

erogenous zones

Colette Kern

By Katherine E Winnick

flower palace

petals gently drifting

through her braids

Katherine E Winnick

By Molly Zeigenbein

dark cavernous maw

flapping fluttering wind gust

flock of bats departs

 

Molly Zeigenbein

By Keith Evetts

 

 

 

Keith Evetts

By Susan Burch

treasure hunt –

I don’t know what

she sees in you

Susan Burch

*

 

too early too late menopause

Susan Burch

*

 

first rain

the little raindrop

that could

Susan Burch

By Mona Bedi

last chemo

a single sunflower

dances in the wind

Mona Bedi

*

 

winter chill

she double folds

her quilt

Mona Bedi

By David He

mist

revealing the sun

on the horizon

a fisherman

sets sail

David He

By Tina Mowrey

crows waiting

for the sprinklers

midnight murder

Tina Mowrey

*

 

icy moon

she gives me

the cold shoulder

Tina Mowrey

By John J. Dunphy

church stained glass window

the Virgin set ablaze

by the rising sun

John J. Dunphy