Cold Moon Journal
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
By Joanna Ashwell
votives
by the window
early shadow
—Joanna Ashwell
night chrysalis
lost in the snow
forest stars
—Joanna Ashwell
By j rap
birthday song
a balloon floats
above the moon
—j rap
inside his silence an echo of dad’s
—j rap
descending the peak
by full moon
rock fall
—j rap
Editor's Note: forthcoming texts, editorial team
Dear contributors and readers of Cold Moon Journal,
I am delighted to be taking over from Robin and writing this first post, and to announce that from hereon, I'll be adding the texts chosen for publication in February (Robin may well continue adding some previously accepted texts due to them getting lost).
I'm joined for my editorial duties by Oana Maria Cercel, who along with being co-editor, will also be responsible for social media promotion of your work. We'll choose two texts each month for the Touchstone Awards, leaving us 6 choices at the end of the year for a bit of wiggle room (we'll submit 30 each year). We'll announce these Touchstone Nominations at the end of each month on Instagram, and on the website at the end of the year. Follow CMJ here. If you post on Instagram, please tag the account!
Here's Oana's bio: Oana Maria Cercel is simply a shrewd human being that fears what mankind is capable of, given our inability to accept our fundamental connection to the abundant quality that already exists.
Some of you may have noticed that after our first editorial screening of the texts, where I think a poem could be a better fit through a little tweaking, I will suggest this over e-mail. This means, please send only up to five texts in total, made up of haiku/senryu/tanka/mini-haibun/haiga/photos.
Without further ado, let's read some poetry!
Thank you,
Timothy and Oana
By Joshua Eric Williams
inkblot god
the rotting
leaves
Joshua Eric
Williams
longer
nights
the sleep in these
hooded eyes
Joshua Eric Williams
each
word
after the first
river delta
Joshua Eric
Williams
Sunday, February 2, 2025
By Scott Wiggerman, j rap and Janet Ruth
Urban Harvest
a
potpourri
of fallen leaves
each step
(sw)
strawflowers and dahlias
in the wedding bouquet
(j
rap)
mulching the garden
with leftover hay
sharp
scent of rot
(jr)
soused cranberries
too much
pumpkin spice
(sw)
kitchen step stool
the
fragrance of basil
dangling from twine
(j rap)
moving
the parsley pot inside
before first freeze
(jr)
Scott Wiggerman (sw), j rap and Janet Ruth (jr)
By Manoj Sharma
tranquil
lake
a playful wind stirs
ripples in the mind
Manoj
Sharma
early
autumn
caught in a moment
my double shadow
Manoj Sharma
Saturday, February 1, 2025
By Mohua Maulik
our watches
side by side on the dresser—
the
widening gap
Mohua Maulik
trailing a finger
over the shimmering
still waters
unaware of the storms
that
lurk below your façade
Mohua Maulik
planting
peace lilies in beds
overrun
with the same old
unresolved
grudges
Mohua Maulik
By Chen-ou Liu
frog pond
the slow drifting
of
my haiku-boat
Chen-ou Liu
she's gone ...
alone, I sleep
with
the dark
Chen-ou Liu
the door
of a foreclosed house
blown open
by a winter gust ...
inside
and out this emptiness
Chen-ou Liu
By Diane Webster
morning sunshine
a galaxy of stars
across
the snow
Diane Webster
white scarf flung
over the dilapidated fence
surrender
Diane Webster
covered in ice
the statue prays
to
the sun god
Diane Webster
Friday, January 31, 2025
By E. C. Traganas
under the bed
a hibernating dust bunny
waiting
for spring
E. C. Traganas
winter sun
shimmering world
in
a crystal snow globe
E. C. Traganas
By Barrie Levine
laundry day
the wicker basket full
of
sleeping cat
Barrie Levine
trimming the grass
near his stone . . .
dad’s
stubble
Barrie Levine
Saturday, January 25, 2025
By Mark Forrester
evening fog . . .
someone’s basketball
skips
a beat
Mark Forrester
twilight trail
through snow-capped brambles
a
startled deer
Mark
Forrester
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
By Kavita Ratna
fading colours
of a prayer flag
the
sun wavers
Kavita Ratna
a salty spray
…all the rivers
that
were
Kavita Ratna
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
By Tsanka Shishkova
first
snowflakes
mice family
in the basement
Tsanka Shishkova
your
last breath
another shining light
in the sky
Tsanka Shishkova
Sunday, January 12, 2025
By Kelly Moyer
distant stars
our sense of wonder
redshifting
Kelly Moyer
visiting hours
we play another game
of
dice with God
Kelly Moyer
older now
i see myself
in
the fallen blossom
Kelly Moyer
Saturday, January 11, 2025
Introducing the New Editor
Timothy Daly is a travel-sick wanderer born in the British Isles and reborn outside of them. He is a researcher, writer and teacher at the dizzying crossroads of neuroscience, philosophy, and literature. He can usually be found in an airport departure lounge, from whence he will be glad to continue the excellent work of Roberta Beach Jacobson and read and publish your haiku and related forms here at Cold Moon Journal.
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Monday, January 6, 2025
By Pedro Suarez
photo walk-
stepping out
to catch a moment
Pedro Suarez
myth-
that blurred line between
fact and fiction
Pedro Suarez
Friday, January 3, 2025
By Peter Jastermsky
the
day I want to have before spreading conspiracies
Peter Jastermsky
unexplained death
on the toe tag
a
footnote
Peter Jastermsky
plastic slipcovers
one fine day
we'll
understand
Peter Jastermsky
too
late for the party affiliation
Peter Jastermsky
By John Pappas
circling vultures
the answer to a question
no
one asks
John Pappas
city fountain
unable to afford
one
wish
John Pappas
spring wind
the sadness of
zoo
elephants
John Pappas
heat lightning
she pretends to remember
my
name
John Pappas