By James Penha

huddled in the woods

we observe, ask, study, learn

all over again

James Penha

By Kavita Ratna

tiger lily

tears on the pillow

begin to dry

Kavita Ratna

Update on Touchstone Award Nominations

Additional Cold Moon Journal nominations for the 2023 Touchstone Awards have been submitted to The Haiku Foundation (poems published July to mid-November 2023).

 

Congratulations to these 19 talented poets:

Bryan Rickert

Deborah Karl-Brandt

Dejan Ivanovic

Ingrid Baluchi

Janet Krauss

Jerome Berglund

JL Huffman

Joe Whitlow

M. R. Pelletier

Mariangela Canzi

Nicola Schaum

Priti Khullar

Roman Lyakhovetsky (invalidated, as he serves on the board)

Sébastien Revon

Steliana Cristina Voicu

Stephanie Zepherelli

Susan Burch

Timothy Daly

Vandana Parashar

Recap

Earlier this year, CMJ submitted (nine) nominations for individual poems published January to June 2023. 

Link to names of these nominees:

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2023/06/2023-touchstone-nominations.html

Going Forward

Editors may nominate up to 30 poems annually. Thus far we are at 28. The possibility exists for us to nominate two more poems published between now and the end of Decemeber. Any such announcement will be made here.

Good luck to all our nominees!

By Kelly Sargent

hospice children’s room

shadow puppets

on the wall

Kelly Sargent

By Douglas J. Lanzo

moss phlox

the softness in her face

caressed by misting rain

Douglas J. Lanzo

*

 

cold glimmer in her eyes

frostwork crystal

feathering sea cave

Douglas J. Lanzo

By Lakshmi Iyer

first strawberry pick

a swoosh of red

dawns

Lakshmi Iyer

*

 

post surgery

moon lights

the padded lingerie

Lakshmi Iyer

By Garret Schuelke

Jumping like Mario

to avoid

the mud

Garret Schuelke

By dan smith

galaxy—

a snail's

silver painting

dan smith

By Wai Mei Wong

quiet autumn night—

the bubbling of

grilled clams

Wai Mei Wong

*

a rooster’s call

the sunny side up touches

grandpa’s nose

Wai Mei Wong

By Robert Witmer

a broom

over sunlight

a pile of dust

Robert Witmer

By Joshua St. Claire

white noise crackling

over the Susquehanna 

Pixel Moon

Joshua St. Claire

By Ron Nhim

regretting our words

we spent many nights staring

at old memories

Ron Nhim

By Louise Hopewell

river walk

our path wends

through frog song

Louise Hopewell

 

*
 

the blue tip

of a dragonfly’s tail

day moon

Louise Hopewell

By Elliot Diamond

leaves ghosted by the wind


Elliot Diamond

By M. R. Pelletier

Empty nest—

   a hole through it

   to sky

M. R. Pelletier

By William Cullen Jr.

one sunflower

tracks its namesake

among stones

that have no names

potter's field

William Cullen Jr.

*

leaving mountain shade

a crow takes some along

for its shadow

William Cullen Jr.

By Lorraine Caputo

Night falls deeper

clouds weave over secret rivers

veins of our lives

Lorraine Caputo

By Jay Friedenberg

fur and bone

there are no

safe spaces

Jay Friedenberg