Laurels #3

ballet lessons

rather than the piano,

my decision

when I was made aware

Mom couldn’t afford both

Amelia Fielden

Wollongong, Australia

the other way

I want to shout as I spot

a grass spider

hauling her egg sac into

the unmown half of the lawn

Andrew Lansdown

Perth, Australia

autumn wind

against gray waves

a laughing gull

the day of my death

not mine to decide

Anna Cates

Wilmington, Ohio

warned to never

go past the edge of town

where gypsies camped—

yet as a restless child

every chance I had I took

an’ya

Port Orford, Oregon

in the vast night sky

I long to be smaller still

vanish in details

so I cry myself to sleep

since I am invisible

Barbara E. Davis

Brooklyn, New York

the garden blooms

then reseeds itself . . .

avoiding repetition

I seek barren ground

where I will flourish

Bonnie J Scherer

Palmer, Alaska

“I killed the poet

inside of me years ago” . . .

in shadow he takes

a long drag on his Lucky Strike

as our night shift is over

Chen-ou Liu

Ajax, Ontario

she asks me

the same question again

I tell myself

what a blessing to tell her

another way

Christine L. Villa

North Highlands, California

unable to cure

all that is wrong in the world

I leave it behind

this deep-seated need

to fix things

C. Jean Downer

White Rock, British Columbia

frosted path

I take the road back

to your door

each step quiet

with what I won’t say

C. X. Turner

Birmingham, United Kingdom

spring equinox—

less than eager

to exit

the cocoon

of an electric blanket

Cynthia Anderson

Yucca Valley, California

his easy manner

no big deal

passing

on wine

the thousandth time

David Chandler

Chicago, Illinois

an orca

backflips near our boat . . .

when was

the last time we tried

to impress each other

Debbie Strange

Winnipeg, Manitoba

my dieting is rigid

new knee so worth it

I celebrate

with a little dance

not a sundae

Diane Funston

Marysville, California

when I lose myself

I become the wind

whispering

a longing for home . . .

migrating starlings

Dru Philippou

Taos, New Mexico

I admire

the unusual skirt

she is wearing . . .

her ethical choice to buy

all clothing secondhand

Elaine Riddell

Hamilton, New Zealand

out of work two months

pay gas bill or buy food

dark dilemma

accompanied by cold rain

and a storm of hot tears

Eve Castle

Aurora, Colorado

what to do

in this moving sculpture

will she

feel abandoned

or is it the right time to leave

Gerry Jacobson

Canberra, Australia

holding up the line

pumpkin spice

or caramel

does it matter

I’m for the caffeine

Jackie Chou

Pico Rivera, California

which path

should I take

in old-growth forest

I follow the sound

of a woman’s laughter

Jacob D. Salzer

Vancouver, Washington

each morning

we rearrange each other’s

arrangement . . .

the shower soap, pumice stone

and abalone shell in flux

Jenny Fraser

Mount Maunganui, New Zealand

a roach waves

to me from the ceiling

I cultivate

a friend who survived

mass extinctions

Jenny Polstra

Waikato, New Zealand

a raindrop

trembles on the pane—

what need

to choose between

moment and meaning

Jenny Ward Angyal

Gibsonville, North Carolina

what will it take

to mend this fence,

to allow love back in—

the meandering stream

filled with rainbow trout

Joanna Ashwell

Barnard Castle, United Kingdom

suddenly old

living on the edge

with a view to die for

I look forward

not back

John Tehan

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

the nights

longer than the days

torn

between hope and fear

your hand pulls away

Jon Hare

Falmouth, Massachusetts

a rainbow

of felt-tipped pens

what colour

shall my words

be today?

Julie Thorndyke

Sydney, Australia

that silky feeling
how I wrap up in a blanket

wear a velvet dress

my passion for ripe peaches

mashed potatoes and fleece

Kathabela Wilson

Pasadena, California

the rustic bathhouse

in a heavily-snow-buried onsen,

gentleman from a warm country

said he came here

to see the snow

Kazuaki Wakui

Shibata-shi, Japan

parking Grandma

in an aged care home

we flee

from responsibilities

and set off overseas

Keitha Keyes

Sydney, Australia

I make a U-turn

to go to my brother’s

before nightfall

how warm the weather

and thoughts of you

Lenard Duane Moore

Raleigh, North Carolina

two coins

head over tails

in the wishing well

across time and space

the secrets they share

Leon Tefft

Greenville, South Carolina

the dog’s ashes

get a place of prominence

on the mantle

he wonders will she

do the same for him

LeRoy Gorman

Napanee, Ontario

a roundabout breaks

my focus on straight lines

clear-thinking curves of consequence

give me a choice

on which way I might turn

Linda Conroy

Bellingham, Washington

how easy it was:

it took just a few seconds

to swoon then sleep

then wake in a paper gown

alone in a hospital room

Marc Kimball

Portland, Maine

this year

I will slough off scales

of brittle bark

drop dead leaves of fear—

stand tall as summer’s gums

Margi Abraham

Sydney, Australia

on the hill trail

two tracks intersect

at the crest

sometimes it’s easier

to follow your preference

Marilyn Humbert

Sydney, Australia

each morning

some aches fit like a glove

others not so nicely

then I choose

where to focus

Mark Teaford

Napa, California

the touch

of my father’s hand

for the last time

a dried leaf

falls silently

Mel Goldberg

Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico

spring breakup—

as if it mattered

what I think

of your painting

in the juried art show

Michael Dylan Welch

Sammamish, Washington

trying to find

the right words to say

but truly

if she loved you

it wouldn’t matter

Michael Ketchek

Rochester, New York

the anguish

in her choice

to stay or go . . .

that final decision

no one saw coming

Michele L. Harvey

Hamilton, New York

gently

the ginkgo shedding

its golden leaves . . .

if only letting go

was this simple

Nitu Yumnam

West Bengal, India

Satan’s offer

in exchange for my soul

sounds pretty good . . .

I quickly text heaven

for a counteroffer

Peter Larsen

Lake View Terrace, California

i am angry

and not talking to her

but listening to her

favorite song

on repeat

Quamrul Hassan

Fayetteville, Arkansas

just the two of us

over the years

we have reached

a compromise

on pizza toppings

Randy Brooks

Taylorville, Illinois

at the crossroads

countless signs pointing

to cities near and far

I choose the one with no miles

and a destination unknown

Richard L. Matta

San Diego, California

choosing sides

a slight hesitation

before deciding

to release a firefly

from the spider’s web

Rick Jackofsky

Rocky Point, New York

running late

stopped to get some milk

shots ring out

I duck under a counter

clutching my lotto ticket

Robert Erlandson

Birmingham, Michigan

clouds linger

over the summer

gray sky

i still kayak with

a chance of rainfall

Roy Kindelberger

Edmonds, Washington

lost in the mountains

of Andalucía

I stop to wonder . . .

not a sign anywhere

in the clear blue sky

Shawn Blair

Cohoes, New York

iridescent

flashing green and brilliant blue

aggressive today

these grackles . . .

who will she choose?

Sherri Moye-Dombrosky

Liberty, South Carolina

a squirrel twitches

in the leafless birch

a web of twigs

so many different ways

to come to earth

Simon Wilson

Peterborough, United Kingdom

stuck at home

during a blizzard

perhaps

it’s an invitation

to just be

Susan Burch

Hagerstown, Maryland

above Bondi beach

from the Waverly graves

sea captains

watch black-suited surfers ride

the seas they sailed

Teri White Carns

Anchorage, Alaska

a restless night

full of unresolved strife . . .

placing faith

in my better angels

I finally drift off to sleep

Theresa A. Cancro

Wilmington, Delaware

staying together

for the sake of the kids

until

we need to split up

for the sake of the kids

Tim Cremin

Andover, Massachusetts

i started writing

but very soon lost my way

so this offering

is less than a fine tanka

but more than a kyoka

William Kerr

New York, New York

there’s a cold swallow

in the bottom of my cup

too painful to drink

for when the coffee is gone

what’s there to do after that

Wilson Martin

Winston-Salem, North Carolina