Issue 44

Maricela Rosas

Cherry blossom trees
release sweet dancing petals
in seasons of spring

John Cornman

A surface of glass,
Then broken by soft ripples;
The trout has his treat.

Jeff Harbrow

Golden hues disperse
Mountainous dark-green backdrop
Fog lifts from pale fields

Tine Heraldo

Heart, bare, frozen shut;
like the yonder river's ice,
still forevermore.

Chris A Ruiz

The lion's eyes
tell how he will never roar
but always whimper

Ron Scully

FOR SALE sign PENDING
squeaking in the last March winds
Easter morning peeps

Laura Moore

snowfall on tulips
embers spurn the morning's chill
Hod and Idun dance

Emily Eshom

Ghostly glow of moon
Unsung songs of sleeping birds
Waiting to emerge

Corrie Thompson

The gavel came down
Like the final pat of dirt
On top of a grave.

Debora Schwartz

Snow-capped mountains loom,
aglow beside the still sound;
rumbling motor-boat.

Minh-Triet PHAM

Black Metal concert
On the highest voltage lines
old famished ravens

Noel Torres

Your skin bowing 'neath
my touch reminds the deaf sky
of stars, of sleep.

Angela Amundson

Pandemonium
Cantering across the field
Freedom incarnate

Kelley White

spring in New Hampshire
snow clusters on sundresses
stiff on the clothesline

David Jones

exhaling small clouds
appearing disappearing
breathe in silent frost

Candice Conner

Blue filters through oak
leaves, catching the green on fire
like copper burning.

David Davies

in the English dew
pondering Andean dreams
- a single llama

Leara Morris-Clark

shadows stretch long arms
underneath the dripping sun
anticipation

Judy Stock

Whitecapped bands of clouds
Roll in waves across the sky
Toward the beach of dawn.

J. Bear Savo

6:16 A.M.
My smartphone thinks it's raining,
but I know better.

Lionel Lake

Our days like driftwood
on a bare reach of river,
gifts from gods upstream

C.W. Buxton

Euphoric visions
Within the storm of conscience
Troubled delusions

Lorraine Cipriano

Cha-cha ballroom dance
pushing him down to the floor
swirling red fringe skirt

Neil Creighton

evening chorus,
ecstatic cacophony
pond frogs praising rain

Terez Peipins

Late summer sun warms
tomato is turning red
earth spins and wobbles

Rick Hartwell

Adolescent games
Spring anatomy lessons
Opaque ignorance

Mary Gunn

old city graveyard
strains of a familiar tune
amid the bare trees

Joseph Easterly

The rough-shod ceiling
Squeezing space between itself
And the care-worn floor

Michael Flanagan

like a Newgrange dawn
sunrise fires through the darkness
igniting shadows

Lianne Kamp

Ghost wind chills the air
Snow flesh clings to cold tree bones
Winter haunts the streets

Rachel Zempel

ripples sway the boat
dragonflies swarm my bobber
hoping for a bite

Tyson West

yarrow blossoms spread
yellow clouds quaver above
a fragile green dream

Dennis Lowe

storm clouds cast fine nets,
trawling the mountain shadows
sinking sun plunges

David Richardson

Right there all along
Leaning on his walking stick
My pensive shadow

Hilde Kiernan

at dusk, rowan trees
become long-fingered giants
unbraiding my hair

Drew Blazure

The smell of fresh walls
Grips his soul as freedom calls
The boy is now man

Amber Moore

Sunburnt and sleepy
Packed and headed to the car
For the long ride home

Connor Bjotvedt

Wooden horses sit
in the ranch house's window
dreaming of spring fields.

Patricia Rossi

framed in shades of blue
billowing white taffeta
summer's midday sky

Neil Harrison

Feather-light, haiku
descend on the sleeping heart,
then close their talons

Maria DePaul

birds and crickets chirp
locusts bounce in high grasses
Arboretum dawn

Nancy Hatch Woodward

Restless, scattered mind
Awakens me before dawn
Bobcat at our pond

Jackie Maugh Robinson

fallen autumn leaves
chin on paws on empty boots
come on boy. . .good boy

James Reinert

raindrop donnybrook
washing winter's dirty socks
daffodils rejoice

Sandra Barnett

lotus and lantern
resting in the Buddha's lap --
old watering can

Gregg Dotoli

alert hare watches
ears up clover sun dining
with nervous cat thoughts

Joseph J Kozma

The soil bubbles up
Bees are out scouting
Yellow daffodils

Liam Strong

The tractor yearning
through hot Leelanau summer
the pull of gold stalks.

Sandra Barnett

mockingbird flying
circles around clunky crow . . .
white patches flashing

Ana Drobot

through the rapeseed fields -
browsing through wedding photos
former bride and groom