By Monica Kakkar

heartbeats in first bloom—

her polka dot bikini

scarlet ladybird

Monica Kakkar

By Mike Fainzilber

at the end of the earth

where the sun goes to die

a souvenir stand…

Mike Fainzilber

By Melissa Laussmann

in pale moonlight

a firefly becomes

the star

Melissa Laussmann

By Mike Turner

Oh, what greater love

Than fulfilling hopes and dreams

Can we give others

Mike Turner

By John J. Dunphy

wedding anniversary

husband selects a bouquet

at the cemetery

John J. Dunphy

*

weightlifter

trembling as he picks up

his newborn son

John J. Dunphy

By Vandana Parashar

wanderlust

a little cloud

drifts away

Vandana Parashar

*

shooting

everything in sight

wedding photographer

Vandana Parashar

By Christa Pandey

heat dome

even a cactus

keels over

Christa Pandey

 

*

 

sunset

the old pond

glows pink

Christa Pandey

By Mike Freedman

thoughts twirling

in the spin-dryer

of ego

Mike Freedman

*

 

priest lights up

leaving cathedral

no sin to smoke

Mike Freedman

By evan coram

only a few

fireflies dream

of becoming a star

evan coram

*

 

wet snowflakes

together

sharing silence

evan coram

By Ron Scully

scrabble party

he interrupts her words

she finishes his sentences

Ron Scully

By B. L. Bruce

morning sky

pale as corn silk

heatwave

B. L. Bruce

By Ram Chandran

cherry blossoms —

even after

all of us have gone

Ram Chandran

By Timothy Daly

parents’ home

looking back on my past

I see a light

Timothy Daly

By Pris Campbell

breaking waves

too old and sick now

for sandcastle dreams

Pris Campbell

By Kerry J Heckman

hare moon

from every direction

coyote songs

Kerry J Heckman

*

tornado

hitching a ride

to oz

Kerry J Heckman

By Alvin B. Cruz

my blind date

a no show —

total eclipse

Alvin B. Cruz

*

summer love unfolding my umbrella

Alvin B. Cruz

By James Penha

arranging ourselves

across music of the spheres

the maestro awaits
 

James Penha

*

 

railway steps

waiting for those who seek

their station

James Penha

By John Zheng

supermoon

birds in trees

louder and louder

John Zheng

*

 

yowling night

moon on a pine branch

wide-eyed

John Zheng

By Mike Gallagher

eyelashes

butterfly wings

aflutter

Mike Gallagher

*

rustling

in september breeze

drier leaves

Mike Gallagher

By Chen-ou Liu

CN Tower

hidden in fog and rain ...

what remains

of my immigrant past

now a blur to me

Chen-ou Liu

By Jerome Berglund

hummingbird

calling for

an encore

Jerome Berglund

By Ellen Kom

family lawsuit

lawyer and therapist

on standby


Ellen Kom

By Barrie Levine

spilled grounds . . .

your caffeine rush

to leave me

Barrie Levine

By Jharna Sanyal

a cup of tea —

home in every tongue

Jharna Sanyal

*

Judas tree

so many reasons

I forgive

Jharna Sanyal

By David Käwika Eyre

Labor Day

he demonstrates

vacuum cleaners

David Käwika Eyre

By Pravat Kumar Padhy

Carbon Footprints

 
the sun looks dim
with smoke all around
fierce debate
in the conference room
for the sky to retain its blue
 
insects search
space for a breath
birds
for the missed treasure
as city sparks in neon lights
 
morning
whispers to the trees…
the leaves
lost their vigor
to muse with the breeze
 
early dawn
from far off distance
the whales scream 
not to change
the colour of the sea
 
neither koel’s song
nor hopscotch of birds
we spend a living
with a black sun
hanging from the dusty sky
 
roaring voice
of the rising sea …
in the lost land
the Anthropocene defines
the sinking sun of the rising risk

Pravat Kumar Padhy

By Susan Lee Roberts

summer ages

in the august heat—

calico leaves


Susan Lee Roberts

By Patricia Hawkhead

autumn colours

the old cat curls

into itself

Patricia Hawkhead

By JL Huffman

landscape blight

howl of the junkyard dog

JL Huffman

By Terri L. French

running into the squirrel’s indecision

Terri L. French