Cold Moon Journal

Cold Moon Journal
Fossombrone, Italy — Credits: Oana Maria Cercel

Sunday, February 9, 2025

By Alvin B. Cruz

table for two

the melting candle

between us

—Alvin B. Cruz


cherry blossoms

in late spring

the tree i planted

though i will not sit

in its shade

—Alvin B. Cruz


another home

in ruins

winter deepens

—Alvin B. Cruz


the letter

that never reached you

wisteria blossoms

—Alvin B. Cruz

By Steve Black (from 2024)


back in town 
going by a different name
too late to run
too late to be forgiven
hurricane season
—Steve Black

painkiller
she washes the day
from my back
anoints oil to the scars
that never go away
—Steve Black

the back door
into the night
i left open
i thought 
she would close

—Steve Black



Editor's Note: These are from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson. 

Saturday, February 8, 2025

By Aja Rhianna

last pail of milk 

we say goodbye 

to our favorite cow 

—Aja Rhianna


gentle waves 

the calm 

before moonlight

—Aja Rhianna

By Kavita Ratna

threadbare blanket 

on the other side 

a new day

—Kavita Ratna

by Nicoletta Ignatti

moonspots... 

she keeps all her secrets

to herself 

—Nicoletta Ignatti


spring twilight- 

telling her 

we will no longer be friends

—Nicoletta Ignatti

Friday, February 7, 2025

By Sarah Mahina Calvello

the smell

of flowers in blushing

burnt sun

—Sarah Mahina Calvello

By Marylyn Burridge

unsteady

on my bruised ego

apache plume

—Marylyn Burridge

By Deborah Karl-Brandt

cat's eyes

the blackbird tunes into

fortissimo

—Deborah Karl-Brandt


worn-out socks

learning how to mend them

into a haiku

—Deborah Karl-Brandt

Thursday, February 6, 2025

By Partha Sarkar

bird twitching 

its tail—waves

in the sun.

—Partha Sarkar

By John J. Dunphy

outdoor nativity scene

one of the Wise Men

facing the wrong way

—John J. Dunphy


his last road trip

my friend arrives

at the cemetery

—John J. Dunphy 

By Vickie Yiannoulou

old bedroom

a bassinet holds

one tiny sock

—Vickie Yiannoulou

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

By Anne Fox

woodpecker poem…

the clickety-clack

of his old typewriter

Anne Fox

By Oscar Luparia

licking a stamp

the flavor

of nostalgia

—Oscar Luparia


homemade bread

a handful of sesame seeds

for the sparrows

—Oscar Luparia

By Miriam Sagan

thunderclap—

the ghost of my cat 

hits the bed

—Miriam Sagan

By Elliot Diamond

icecaps

with sprinkles

sweating

—Elliot Diamond

By László Aranyi

dirty spider's web

the creeping hourglass

etched in all of us

—László Aranyi

By Mishti Choudhury

keeping an eye

on me

this moon

—Mishti Choudhury

Shine on, a haibun by David Ngo

Shine on

Amid the rhythm of machines in the ICU, you ride the relentless tide of a stroke, each breath straining to fill your fading lungs—all for one thought: the uncertain future of those left behind. 

    twilight...
    the fading flicker
    of a spark 

(in memoriam, my late mother Ling Boey King, 1936-2025)
—David Ngo

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Photography by Michael C. Roberts


—Michael C. Roberts

—Michael C. Roberts

—Michael C. Roberts

By M. R. Pelletier

 soap opera 

my neighbor sings 

in the shower

—M. R. Pelletier 

By Jackie Chou

winter sparrow 

the cashier declines 

my food stamp card 

—Jackie Chou

By Steve Van Allen

seven starlings 

on a wire 

melting in november rain 

—Steve Van Allen

By Jerome Berglund

tipsy snow 

whenever a car passes 

I flinch

—Jerome Berglund

By Joshua St. Claire

precession of the equinoxes 

my hands reach 

middle age

—Joshua St. Claire

By Joanna Ashwell

votives 

by the window 

early shadow

—Joanna Ashwell


night chrysalis 

lost in the snow 

forest stars

—Joanna Ashwell

By Tuyet Van Do

red tinsels 

on neighbor's fence 

wind chimes tinkling 

—Tuyet Van Do

By j rap

birthday song 

a balloon floats 

above the moon

—j rap


inside his silence an echo of dad’s

—j rap

descending the peak 

by full moon 

rock fall

—j rap



Editor's Note: forthcoming texts, editorial team

Dear contributors and readers of Cold Moon Journal,

I am delighted to be taking over from Robin and writing this first post, and to announce that from hereon, I'll be adding the texts chosen for publication in February (Robin may well continue adding some previously accepted texts due to them getting lost). 

I'm joined for my editorial duties by Oana Maria Cercel, who along with being co-editor, will also be responsible for social media promotion of your work. We'll choose two texts each month for the Touchstone Awards, leaving us 6 choices at the end of the year for a bit of wiggle room (we'll submit 30 each year). We'll announce these Touchstone Nominations at the end of each month on Instagram, and on the website at the end of the year. Follow the IG here and Facebook here. If you post your work, please tag the account! 

Here's Oana's bio: Oana Maria Cercel is simply a shrewd human being that fears what mankind is capable of, given our inability to accept our fundamental connection to the abundant quality that already exists.

Some of you may have noticed that after our first editorial screening of the texts, where I think a poem could be a better fit through a little tweaking, I will suggest this over e-mail. This means, please send only up to five texts in total, made up of haiku/senryu/tanka/mini-haibun/haiga/photos

Without further ado, let's read some poetry! 

Thank you,

Timothy and Oana

By Joshua Eric Williams

inkblot god

the rotting

leaves


Joshua Eric Williams



longer nights

the sleep in these

hooded eyes
 

Joshua Eric Williams



each word

after the first

river delta


Joshua Eric Williams

Sunday, February 2, 2025

By Mark Hendrickson

thunder snow

confirmation of the news

I was afraid of

Mark Hendrickson

By Scott Wiggerman, j rap and Janet Ruth

Urban Harvest


a potpourri

of fallen leaves

each step

(sw)

strawflowers and dahlias

in the wedding bouquet

(j rap)

mulching the garden

with leftover hay 

sharp scent of rot

(jr)

soused cranberries

too much pumpkin spice

(sw)

kitchen step stool 

the fragrance of basil

dangling from twine

(j rap)

moving the parsley pot inside

before first freeze 

(jr)

Scott Wiggerman (sw), j rap and Janet Ruth (jr)

By Manoj Sharma

tranquil lake

a playful wind stirs

ripples in the mind


Manoj Sharma



early autumn

caught in a moment

my double shadow

Manoj Sharma

Saturday, February 1, 2025

By Mohua Maulik

our watches

side by side on the dresser—

the widening gap

Mohua Maulik



trailing a finger

over the shimmering

still waters

unaware of the storms

that lurk below your façade

Mohua Maulik



planting

peace lilies in beds

overrun

with the same old

unresolved grudges

Mohua Maulik

By Chen-ou Liu

frog pond

the slow drifting

of my haiku-boat

Chen-ou Liu



she's gone ...

alone, I sleep

with the dark

Chen-ou Liu



the door

of a foreclosed house

blown open

by a winter gust ...

inside and out this emptiness

Chen-ou Liu

By Diane Webster

morning sunshine

a galaxy of stars

across the snow


Diane Webster



white scarf flung

over the dilapidated fence

surrender

Diane Webster



covered in ice

the statue prays

to the sun god

Diane Webster

Friday, January 31, 2025

By Neena Singh

old neighbor—

a hint of garlic

in her gossip

Neena Singh

By E. C. Traganas

under the bed

a hibernating dust bunny

waiting for spring

E. C. Traganas



winter sun

shimmering world

in a crystal snow globe

E. C. Traganas

By Barrie Levine

laundry day

the wicker basket full

of sleeping cat

Barrie Levine



trimming the grass

near his stone . . .

dad’s stubble

Barrie Levine

By Arvinder Kaur

just one more wish to go deepening twilight

Arvinder Kaur

Saturday, January 25, 2025

By Mark Forrester

evening fog . . .

someone’s basketball

skips a beat

Mark Forrester



twilight trail

through snow-capped brambles

a startled deer

Mark Forrester

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

By Sara Cosgrove

ghost story bond

between friends

across the bonfire


Sara Cosgrove

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

By Eugeniusz Zacharski

migrating geese

yarn that weaves

the landscape

Eugeniusz Zacharski

By Pitt Büerken

he masters

all his courage —

asks her

Pitt Büerken

Saturday, January 18, 2025

By Tejendra Sherchan

below the Venus

waxing moon climbs up

to hug it

Tejendra Sherchan

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

By Kavita Ratna

fading colours

of a prayer flag

the sun wavers

Kavita Ratna



a salty spray

all the rivers

that were

Kavita Ratna

Golden Triangle Haiku


Tuesday, January 14, 2025

By Tsanka Shishkova

first snowflakes

mice family

in the basement

Tsanka Shishkova


 

your last breath

another shining light

in the sky

Tsanka Shishkova

Sunday, January 12, 2025

By Kelly Moyer

distant stars

our sense of wonder

redshifting

Kelly Moyer

 

 

visiting hours

we play another game

of dice with God

Kelly Moyer



older now

i see myself

in the fallen blossom

Kelly Moyer

Saturday, January 11, 2025

Introducing the New Editor

Timothy Daly is a travel-sick wanderer born in the British Isles and reborn outside of them. He is a researcher, writer and teacher at the dizzying crossroads of neuroscience, philosophy, and literature. He can usually be found in an airport departure lounge, from whence he will be glad to continue the excellent work of Roberta Beach Jacobson and read and publish your haiku and related forms here at Cold Moon Journal.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

By Jerome Berglund

transparent

garbage bag

avert your eyes

Jerome Berglund

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

By Tonya L. Hall

one-way ticket

promise of

someday somewhere

Tonya L. Hall

By Timothy Daly

ebbing along the tired stream

Timothy Daly

Monday, January 6, 2025

By Pedro Suarez

photo walk-

stepping out

to catch a moment


Pedro Suarez


myth-

that blurred line between

fact and fiction


Pedro Suarez

Friday, January 3, 2025

By Peter Jastermsky

the day I want to have before spreading conspiracies

Peter Jastermsky



unexplained death

on the toe tag

a footnote

Peter Jastermsky



plastic slipcovers

one fine day

we'll understand

Peter Jastermsky



too late for the party affiliation


Peter Jastermsky

By John Pappas

circling vultures

the answer to a question

no one asks

John Pappas



city fountain

unable to afford

one wish

John Pappas



spring wind

the sadness of

zoo elephants

John Pappas



heat lightning

she pretends to remember

my name

John Pappas

Thursday, January 2, 2025

By Rashmi VeSa

mud cakes—

the messy bonds

of siblings

Rashmi VeSa

By Alvin B. Cruz

strumming

her ex-lover's guitar

silent rain

Alvin B. Cruz



one year sober

a dozen roses

in a wine bottle

Alvin B. Cruz



claw machine

all the ways

of letting go

Alvin B. Cruz



another year...

yesterday's rain

in the wheelbarrow

Alvin B. Cruz

By Rupa Anand

winter dawn

tiptoeing with a cup

of camomile tea

Rupa Anand

By Maciej Faliński

The sky and the sea

meet where the blues intertwine,

trapping my gaze there.

Today waves shatter the glass

of the mirror in my mind.

Maciej Faliński



From a small café

comes an unknown melody,

making me long for

everything and nothing both—

a blend of sweetness and pain

Maciej Faliński

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

By Nancy Brady

new year's day...

paying bills

I void the first check

Nancy Brady

By Luciana Moretto

sprig of heather

under the pillow

I wake up in the new year

Luciana Moretto

By Fatma Zohra Habis

after the sound

of a woodpecker

I inhale the silence

Fatma Zohra Habis

By Anthony Ward

Balanced into the wind the bird embraces rain

Anthony Ward

By Lakshman Bulusu

New Year’s Eve

at the stroke of midnight

every star, a new dream


Lakshman Bulusu

By AJ Johnson

winter commute

missing the sun

both ways

AJ Johnson

By Anne Fox

in the dreaming of trees

winter songs

of the afterlife

Anne Fox



stray cat…

another unanswered question

wanders away

Anne Fox



narrow path…

this endless wait

for new wings

Anne Fox



still winter…

i search the night

for a song

Anne Fox

By Nicholas Klacsanzky

with each wave

the hush of pebbles . . .

father’s ashes


Nicholas Klacsanzky

By Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff

pear petals on the pavement

she asks

if everyone dies

Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff

By Nicoletta Ignatti

New Year's concert—

the pianist leans

into her tune

Nicoletta Ignatti



snow wind—

how fast the cat

enters the garage

Nicoletta Ignatti

By Sharon Ferrante

he carves me a poem

in the oak

woodpecker


Sharon Ferrante

By Katie Montagna

grey dawn

a sea of fog

hides the ocean


Katie Montagna

By Jennifer Gurney

this day

holding all the promise

of the future

Jennifer Gurney



each note

becomes the concert

piano recital

Jennifer Gurney

By Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă

river station —

a string of wild ducks

continues on its way

Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă

By Thomas Landgraf

no matter

who is right and who is wrong...

winter stars        

Thomas Landgraf

By Govind Joshi

waning moon

slowing down

of the old walker

Govind Joshi

By Alexis Rotella

down the sink


all your exotic bottles

of sauces and vinegars

the orange-flower water

how it pains me

to break its seal

Alexis Rotella

By Janet Krauss

a heft of silence

as I leave

my old home

carrying

my sack of longing

Janet Krauss

By Katherine E Winnick

a blackbird

on the runway

left behind


Katherine E Winnick

By Steliana Voicu

ice flowers…

on my window

moon stories

Steliana Voicu


 

Royal Train arrives —

in the old man's hands

trembling chrysanthemums

Steliana Voicu

By Sarah Mahina Calvello

cold clouds

In a Van Gogh sky

Winter

Sarah Mahina Calvello

By Tuyet Van Do

sipping ginger tea

as I read the newsfeed

a new president
 

Tuyet Van Do



garage sale —

in the garden corner

Buddha's grin

Tuyet Van Do

By Oscar Luparia

foggy dawn

the milk froth

in my first coffee


Oscar Luparia

 

 

pick-up points . . .

the sledge of Santa

lighter and lighter


Oscar Luparia

 



Christmas parties

please everyone remember

not to overdo

Oscar Luparia

By Kelly Sargent

bony fingers of lightening her hair caught in his grip

Kelly Sargent



picking up the pieces purple heart

Kelly Sargent

By Stephanie Zepherelli

multiple personas

a stack of hats

perfectly balanced

Stephanie Zepherelli



junk mail

the same old stuff

i tell myself

Stephanie Zepherelli



act four

dancing alone

with shadows

Stephanie Zepherelli



walking with shadows

before they arrive

dark premonitions

Stephanie Zepherelli