Tony Williams

cold shower—

the nettles

erect

—Tony Williams

Audrey Quinn

fevered night

the clock ticking

slowly

—Audrey Quinn

rainstorm

a scorpion

out of hiding

—Audrey Quinn

Blueprint, by Ariana Afrin Emu

I used to love like a storm

no map

no shelter

just sky and surrender

—Ariana Afrin Emu

Melissa Laussmann

sipping tea

under the morning moon

scent of jasmine

—Melissa Laussmann

Mark Forrester

funeral season

bittercress blossoms

beside the old school

—Mark Forrester

Boryana Boteva

rose bud

more gentle than ever

my mom’s hug

—Boryana Boteva

park breeze

a few chestnut blossoms

in my coffee cup

—Boryana Boteva

Maya Daneva

wedding proposal…

the serenade

of the cicadas

—Maya Daneva

Robert Witmer

falling leaves

that yellow carpet

in mother's room

—Robert Witmer

a

puzzle

missing

pieces

childhood 

—Robert Witmer

Christine Forbes

starless shore

one white pebble

glints moonlight

—Christine Forbes

Manasa Reddy Chichili

spring rain

i fold my mom's smile 

into paper boats

—Manasa Reddy Chichili

Mark Gilbert

crimson poppy

there will always be life

among the rubble

—Mark Gilbert

خشخاش قرمزي

توجد حياة دائما

بين الأنقاض

—Arabic translation: Fatma Zohra Habis

Colleen M. Farrelly

spring rain

I trace his name

on the tombstone

—Colleen M. Farrelly

Tuyet Van Do

extra protein 

in the porridge 

a riceworm

—Tuyet Van Do

Ravi Kiran

Mid-west cornfield 

the slow twirl 

of a windmill

—Ravi Kiran

braking reflex 

a crow's shadow 

crosses the road

—Ravi Kiran

Vaishnavi Ramaswamy

my father's last smile 

floats upon my grief

—Vaishnavi Ramaswamy

Louise Hopewell

reflection pond 

pondering a dragonfly 

pondering a dragonfly

—Louise Hopewell

Tonya Hall

crescendo 

dawn chorus 

of whippoorwills

—Tonya Hall

Tom Blessing

old photos

old memories

and yet

—Tom Blessing

Chen-ou Liu

river stroll

salmon leap from cloud

to cloud

—Chen-ou Liu

Mother's farewell

lasts far into my first night ...

Taiwan, lone island

seen through the airplane window

as my lower lip trembles

—Chen-ou Liu

Kanchan Chatterjee

sensei orders

more colors from E-bay —

autumn begins

—Kanchan Chatterjee

deep summer . . .

in my tenth-floor apartment

no scent of jasmine

—Kanchan Chatterjee