By John Pappas

sun-burned grass all these useless words

John Pappas

*

 

empty mall

all the mannequins dressed

in darkness

John Pappas

By Jennifer Isham

first day of school

the teacher dons

her bulletproof vest

Jennifer Isham

By Saumya Bansal

first petrichor after learning the word petrichor

Saumya Bansal

*

morning drizzle

she pretends

to speed walk

Saumya Bansal

By Vipanjeet Kaur

downpour —

floating in rain

a lone leaf.

Vipanjeet Kaur

By Joshua St. Claire

plum wine

the dopplich flight

of the bumblebee

Joshua St. Claire

 

*

passionflower desiring to be clever

Joshua St. Claire

By Bisshie

imagine

strawberry fields

when the war is over

Bisshie

 

*

next to the tourist

the man in a gabardine suit

sweats on the B line

Bisshie

By Ruth Holzer

the day

I moved into

my starter house

little did I know

that would be it

Ruth Holzer

By Robert Epstein

sun-dried tomatoes —

she could have taken

more time with me

Robert Epstein

*

 

Alcatraz

what hard labor it is

to get over myself

Robert Epstein

Best of the Net Nominations

Cold Moon Journal has nominated the following poets for Best of the Net (for poems published between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022):

Chen-ou Liu

Janet Ruth

Agus Maulana Sunjaya

Alvin B. Cruz (2)

Tina Mowrey

Congratulations to all. Good luck!

By Pippa Phillips

shed skin—

I am everywhere

I’ve ever been

Pippa Phillips

*

 

a map 

on her bridal veil 

 

the flat earths 

that lay folded

in her trousseau

Pippa Phillips

*

 

new arms

for the venus de milo

she carves herself

back

into a slab of marble

Pippa Phillips

*

toasting clouds

on an open sun

we tell ghost stories

that end

happily ever after

Pippa Phillips

By Alvin B. Cruz

late night news

last slice of

left-over pizza
 

Alvin B. Cruz

*

 

Basho

the sound of frog

in his language

Alvin B. Cruz

*

window seat

a bus ride with grandma

way back when

my dreams

took the shape of clouds

Alvin B. Cruz

By C.X. Turner

a lone leaf

awaiting the inevitable

fall
 

C.X. Turner

*

clinging to the rain

everything we can be

wild roses
 

C.X. Turner

By Samo Kreutz

old sandpit

a time when the rain was still

a playful companion

Samo Kreutz

By Brad Bennett

mid-summer

a dream between

thunderstorms

Brad Bennett

* 

 

in out of the storm

milk billows

in my tea
 

Brad Bennett

By Steve Bahr

beach walking

weight of the ages

in rock-filled pockets


Steve Bahr

By Tuyet Van Do

post covid

he returns to work

coughing

Tuyet Van Do

By Bakhtiyar Amini

unexpected news

father leans against

the wall

Bakhtiyar Amini

By Daipayan Nair

funeral march—

incense

fills the street


Daipayan Nair

*

morning glory—

she smiles until

she doesn't

Daipayan Nair