his last road trip
my friend arrives
at the cemetery
—John J. Dunphy
outdoor nativity scene
one of the Wise Men
facing the wrong way
—John J. Dunphy
Cold Moon Journal
Fossombrone, Italy — Credits: Oana Maria Cercel
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
By Mohua Maulik
first storm...
searching for the shirt
he is wearing
—Mohua Maulik
hostel gate—
a gust of wind scatters
the empty nest
—Mohua Maulik
north wind
the banyan tree grows
its own prosthesis
—Mohua Maulik
By Mircea Moldovan
another lie
told to the wife
ice fishing
—Mircea Moldovan
horror movie
in the popcorn bag
a rat tail
—Mircea Moldovan
By Lev Hart (from 2024)
autumn
evening
live
feed
from
mars
—Lev Hart
end of autumn
I doubt the movie
will get much better
—Lev Hart
skyful of stars how do i fill my emptiness
—Lev Hart
end of harvest
the gods pack up
and move on
—Lev Hart
Editor's Note: These texts are from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson.
Sunday, February 16, 2025
Friday, February 14, 2025
@cold_moon_journal is on Instagram!
Dear readers and contributors of Cold Moon Journal,
We are delighted to inform you that as of this month, CMJ has an Instagram account.
We encourage you to comment with the story behind your published text, and generally support each other and build this lovely community through this platform.
Consider using the hashtag #cmjhaiku to post your work and tag us!
We also have Facebook and BlueSky page that we'll be developing.
Timothy and Oana
By Chen-ou Liu
in my mind
you shouldn't get married
loud and louder ...
we're like two vacuum cleaners
sucking at each other
—Chen-ou Liu
By Carmela Marino
first cold
my son walks
in my shoes
—Carmela Marino
sunset light
traces of loneliness
on the armchair
—Carmela Marino
a cup of coffee
the warmth left
by his hands
—Carmela Marino
Thursday, February 13, 2025
By Dennis Owen Frohlich
the pungent scent
of ground ink—
Minnesota lake
—Dennis Owen Frohlich
tapping maple trees
my novel-writing secret
revealed
—Dennis Owen Frohlich
By Keith Evetts
their protestations
go with them
migrating geese
—Keith Evetts
in the middle
of the long cold night
we cuddle
—Keith Evetts
By Banasmita Das
fog drapes
winter chill
the heart’s quiet ache
a warm, lost blanket
distant summer
—Banasmita Das
By Vladislav Hristov (from 2024)
spring fly
my sick dog
comes to life
—Vladislav Hristov
rice field
the way she walks
through the silence
—Vladislav Hristov
quiet morning
a symphony of shoes
squeaking in the snow
—Vladislav Hristov
Editor's Note: This haiga is from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson.
By Belinda Behne (from 2024)
—Belinda Behne
Editor's Note: This haiga is from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson.
By Belinda Behne (from 2024)
afternoon tea
her shadow
arrives first
—Belinda Behne
the stars call my name
reminding me to look up
into forever
—Belinda Behne
Editor's Note: These are from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson.
By Bryan Rickert (from 2024)
slowly
going over the falls
sunrise
—Bryan Rickert
always
like she’s on the catwalk
my cat
—Bryan Rickert
waking up
to fresh snow
today
feels like a good day
to begin again
—Bryan Rickert
Editor's Note: These are from the "lost poems" chosen by founding editor, Roberta Beach Jacobson.
Monday, February 10, 2025
By Jay Friedenberg
USB port
always slotting it
the wrong way
—Jay Friedenberg
Rorschach clouds
the disapproving glare
of dad's face
—Jay Friedenberg
By Steliana Cristina Voicu
after the rain…
a bellflower greeting
the moon
—Steliana Cristina Voicu
peonies in bloom
the one near the yard
no one knows about
—Steliana Cristina Voicu
By Robert Witmer
churchyard
an ancient yew
bent with snow
—Robert Witmer
a marked page
in a library book
dating app
—Robert Witmer
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 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 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 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
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
By Oscar Luparia
licking a stamp
the flavor
of nostalgia
—Oscar Luparia
homemade bread
a handful of sesame seeds
for the sparrows
—Oscar Luparia
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
By Joanna Ashwell
votives
by the window
early shadow
—Joanna Ashwell
night chrysalis
lost in the snow
forest stars
—Joanna Ashwell
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 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
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