By Sean O’Connor

first cold snap

all the graves quilted

with autumn leaves

Sean O’Connor

By Barrie Levine

summer’s end . . .

what the tree knows

before the leaves

Barrie Levine

*

well-traveled moon

fluent

in the language of silence

Barrie Levine

By Jay Friedenberg

dog park

an old squeaky toy

buried in leaves

Jay Friedenberg

By B.L. Bruce

slow burn

of sunrise

autumn

B.L. Bruce

*

 

cricket song

at dawn

new moon

B.L. Bruce

By Lucia Cardillo

roasted chestnuts ...

the forgotten warmth

of her hands

Lucia Cardillo

By petro c.k.

in the woods

somewhere else

a tree falls quietly


petro c.k.

*

 

creaking wood floors

a reminder that

I'm not alone

petro c.k.

By M. R. Pelletier

Veterans—

none volunteers

for what comes after

M. R. Pelletier

By John J. Dunphy

baby boomer activist

now organizing protests

in her nursing home

John J. Dunphy

*

 

yard sale Bible

a bird's nest drawn on

its family tree

John J. Dunphy

By Mirela Brăilean

mourners

the battlefield

full of crows

Mirela Brăilean

By Chris Langer

nap time

tucking in

her teddy bear
 

Chris Langer

*

 

tire swing

swaying

to the radio

Chris Langer

*

 

cracked backboard

the sound of sneakers

on concrete

Chris Langer

*

 

insomnia

my cat tackles the sheep

i’ve been counting

Chris Langer

By Mirela Brăilean

trick or treat...

candies from last year

in my old coat

Mirela Brăilean

By Roberta Beach Jacobson

monster moon

Halloween closer

than you think

Roberta Beach Jacobson

By Vipanjeet Kaur

early dawn —

the sun dispels

the gloom of night.

Vipanjeet Kaur

By Robert Witmer

an angel

knitting lace

snowflakes

Robert Witmer

By Priti Khullar

anniversary gift

he gets my

annotated book

Priti Khullar

By Helen Ogden

my long walk

through coastal fog

disappearing blues

Helen Ogden

By Mark Scott

city traffic

a flycatcher goes

unnoticed

Mark Scott

By Rob McKinnon

poplar trees…

strange fruit swinging

in the breeze

Rob McKinnon

By Amoolya Kamalnath

plastic trash –

the sea's belly

explodes daily

Amoolya Kamalnath

 

*

 

temple festival

all over the town

Amoolya Kamalnath

By Goran Lowie

old love letters

my lips drinking

the words

Goran Lowie

By Kim Klugh

near empty feeder

sparrows throw seeds

of discontent

Kim Klugh

By G.R. LeBlanc

after the funeral

the laughter

of small children

G.R. LeBlanc

By Roberta Beach Jacobson

when they retire

do they keep their rulers

nuns

Roberta Beach Jacobson

By Mike Gallagher

two crows

homeward bound

two nuns

Mike Gallagher

By anne morrigan

in ador—

    timid

        —ation

anne morrigan

By Anna Cates

sometimes a wish

becomes a butterfly

becomes a dragon

Anna Cates

Cold Moon Journal's 2023 Pushcart Prize Nominations (for Poetry)

Congratulations to these six talented poets:

Orrin PréJean

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/07/by-orrin-prejean_15.html

H.A. Sappho

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/04/by-h-sappho.html

Jay Friedenberg

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/04/by-jay-friedenberg.html

Bisshie

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/09/by-bisshie.html

Mike Gallagher

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/09/by-mike-gallagher.html

Keith Evetts

https://coldmoonjournal.blogspot.com/2022/07/by-keith-evetts_3.html

 

Final selection notices will be in the (postal) mail to editors in April of 2023. All winning poets receive a free copy of the annual print anthology.

By A.J. Anwar

hot breeze—

rumors travel beyond

borders
 

A.J. Anwar