a flower blooms
only
when it is history
David Ngo
ephemeral morning moon
like so many things
in
this transient world
Steve Van Allen
an old shoe
sinking into the earth
its
silent tongue
John Hawkhead
anniversary
she folds his shirt’s arms
around
her
John Hawkhead
jumping off the pier
not sure how far down
or
if I'll drown
Stephen Jarrell Williams
breathing in
deep thoughts from years ago
recurring
dreams
Stephen Jarrell Williams
singing
the desert sunrise yellow warbler
Sharon Martina
sharing
our deepest secrets autumn leaves
Sharon Martina
heavy snowfall
her tendency
to
overshare
Sharon Martina
sled hill
the sound of kids
careening
into winter
Sharon Martina
his white beard grew out
'til it covered up his name—
December
headstone
M. Benjamin Thorne
leaves of crimson hue
dance in autumn's gentle breeze
nature's
farewell waltz
Evgeny Khvalkov
softening
the edges of cold
snow
blanket
Katrina Serwe
color of the sun
pressed into earth
a
maple leaf
Katrina Serwe
in front
of the hospital mortuary
a
blooming paradise
Tejendra Sherchan
news
the monsoon exits
my
country
Tejendra Sherchan
in
some other life
we are happy together
destiny was
kind
entwined like ancient great oaks
but here we are lost
in woods
Peter Devonald
we wonder with sighs
if rains will ever stop tears
if floods
will forget
will old weary ways remain
or will we just
build fresh hell
Peter Devonald
When we die do our
eyes open or close I must
know
dad just because
Jeremy Nathan Marks
waiting for snowfall
Nevermore the next day
a
raven’s cry
Thomas Smith
sunrise and sunset
autumn migrations
pass
me by
Thomas Smith
gravesite service
a
goldfinch tucks baby’s breath
into the nest
Jo Balistreri
flowering
maples in autumn mist the orange bells barely
Jo Balistreri
this
longtime longing ends with a sigh
Hassane Zemmouri
reSILiENCE
Hassane
Zemmouri
all night rain
building a bouquet
of
Lego roses
Audrey Quinn
half-life
still brimming
with
ambition
Audrey Quinn
blooming
where the orchid stops that gap
Matthew Cariello
Queen Ann’s Lace –
the circumference
of
a bee
Matthew Cariello
watching us argue
the blue jay
and
his song
Matthew Cariello
cold day
I try to plant the seed
from
an eaten apple
King Edward A. Eway
falling leaves
our pretend wedding vows
face
their trial
King Edward A. Eway
forgetting
to cancel
my father’s seed catalogues—
evening
primrose
Mark Forrester
morning
fog
in the hotel parking lot
more geese than cars
Mark
Forrester
rain
turning
into snow
into nothing
Mark Forrester
used
car lot
the freezing rain
his best offer
Mark Forrester
forest fires
the dark beauty
of
dead trees
Marcellin Dallaire-Beaumont
the
moon fallen on thoughts after snow
Mircea Moldovan
fingers
slipping
on the piano keys
long winter wind
Mircea
Moldovan
left where it belongs
awash in the westerly . . .
a
dragon wind chime
Monica Kakkar
first snowfall—
traces of yesterday
slowly
vanish
Melissa Laussmann
morning rush
a sparrow takes its time
in
the bird bath
Melissa Laussmann
unread
travel guides filling up my life
Maya Daneva
late autumn sun
slicing warm apple pie
for
breakfast
Maya Daneva
Congratulations to these talented Cold Moon Journal poets for their 2024 Touchstone Award nominations:
Biswajit Mishra
Stacy Taylor
Bipasha Majumder (De)
Bryan Rickert
Sharon Ferrante
Mark Hendrickson
Jerome Berglund
j
rap
Sharon Martina
Rita Melissano
Alvin B. Cruz
Scott F. Parker
Xiaoou Chen
Jay Friedenberg
Susan Burch
Alaka Y
Mohua Maulik
Wendy
Cobourne
Adrian Bouter
open window
a cat leaps
into
my story
Wendy Cobourne
harbor dawn
a tug pulls pink
downriver
Wendy Cobourne
away, away
carries the wind
her
red balloon
Adrian Bouter
loss —
our moon as it is
as
it was
Adrian Bouter
open
market
truth goes
for the highest price
Katie
Montagna
under an old oak tree
the sky
is
falling
Katie Montagna
that story…
is already written
in the sand
the sky has heard
the
water singing it
Rita R. Melissano
in the murmur
of a calm river
the
ripples of your voice
Rita R. Melissano
a
puzzle piece remembering where to go
Rita R. Melissano
dark circles
the void inside
many
moons
Rita R. Melissano
black holes...
pulled into forever
on
a bed of dead stars
Rita R. Melissano
dad’s chair
the worn cushion
beneath
the cat
Robert Witmer
white nights
the ghost by the fire
asleep
Robert Witmer
babushka
memories wrapped in cabbage
baba's
twinkling eyes
Robert Witmer
climbing
to reach her soul
ivy
Richard Bailly
riding
a tricycle—
again
Richard Bailly
candied bacon
the ice cream flavours
she
loved
Ravi Kiran
on a leaf
still holding on
first
snow
Ravi Kiran
dry riverbed
it’s time to become
strangers
again
Ravi Kiran
a new sprig
on the horizon
baby’s
breath
Kelly Sargent
questioning
why no more shooting stars
Kelly Sargent
double
consonants recalling the little things
Kelly Sargent
pistachio shells
under the couch cushions
self-help
workbook
Kelly Sargent
an
S shape in the window of her content
Pippa Phillips
cold morning
the curl of a cat’s tail
around
my wrist
Pippa Phillips
unable
to be myself
autumn
leaf
Pippa Phillips
snail shell
the curl of a day
into
itself
Pippa Phillips
Mar 26:
periodic table
the stars that flow
through us
Eugeniusz Zacharski
Apr 5:
closed clinic
another choice
terminated
Scott Wiggerman
Apr 9:
gentle dawn ...
the haiku remains
unfinished
Samo Kreutz
Apr 22:
losing the path
deep in the forest
I find myself
deep in the forest
losing myself
I find the path
losing the path
I find myself
deep in the forest
Belinda Behne
Oct 6:
long weekend
the news comes
on a friday
Jerome Berglund
Oct 12:
fake profile —
why would anyone
want
to be me
Susan Burch
Big congratulations to our six Pushcart nominees!
Nominations for the Touchstone Awards are underway, so please remain patient. Uploading the data for 30 poems is taking considerable time and effort. It's a lengthy process, but the Touchstone announcement will be posted at the journal once everything is finished.
Because it has 3 lines
and you mention spring
doesn’t
make it a haiku.
Michael Minassian
six
crocodiles
a thousand years
among the reeds
Mike
Gallagher
struggling
up the hill
stragglers
Mike Gallagher
To become a butterfly
I spill out
my
guts
Alexis Rotella
tree
frog a pendant I'll never wear around my neck
Alexis
Rotella
a
note to myself reminding me to eat
Alexis
Rotella
Tired old gent
Up the Apple and Pears
And
done
RJ Humbl’
Cup of Rosie
With each warm embrace
Steam
leaves
RJ Humbl’
skyscraper
the
window cleaner comes
from above
Pitt Büerken
joyride
the
engine oil level
warning light flashes
Pitt Büerken
winter
approaches
a summer love ends
for good
Pitt Büerken