The Shadow Pond Journal Issue One Summer 2023

Congratulations to all selected poets in the inaugural issue of the Shadow Pond Journal, it has been an absolute pleasure reading your work. Whilst I do have some personal favourites, I am going to refrain from discussing them here - leaving you, the readers, to see what grabs your attention. I have to highlight there is a trigger warning in relation to the occasional poem.

I am thrilled that my spontaneous project is already an international community of wonderful writers and thank all of you for sharing your words.

Also giving thanks to Giorgia Di Pancrazio,  Marc Brimble, and Malinda Love-Hill for editorial and artistic input.

Enjoy....

The Poems

blue kingfisher

sitting on a branch-

fortune teller

Genevieve S Aguinaldo, Philippines

tide chart

the ebb and flow

of melancholy

Farah Ali, United Kingdom

he prays amen

she chants om

— interfaith marriage

Rupa Anand,  India

helping me be

my best self—

praying mantis

Cynthia Anderson,  United States

deja vu

a blade of light slices

through the fog

Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo,  Philippines

rock-strewn beach 

walking  hand in hand

cell phones on mute

Dr Santosh Bakaya, India 

blindsighted

pregnancy terminated

bloodline ended

Snigdha  Banerjee (Agrawal), India / United States

pressed flowers

the memory of you

still alive

Dr Mona Bedi, India

snow leopard

calling your workforce

a family

Jerome Berglund, United States 

buttercups

all the affairs

we didn't have

Bisshie, Switzerland

getaway

beyond the barbed wire

the soldier's shadow 

Mirela Bràilean,  Romania

among

sliding cypresses

frog's eyes

tra i cipressi

che scivolano

occhi di rana

Maurizio Brancaleoni,  Italy

bad paint job

outside

the tattoo shop

Marc Brimble, Spain

kaleidoscope

in love with every one

of you

Dr Randy Brooks, United States 

indigo night drapes

velvet clouds -

crescent moon and star

Lorraine Caputo, Canada

yellow of the leaf

stained with the brown of the mud

even death not clean!

Neelam Saxena Chandra , India

full moon

a mimosa flower

gathers more yellow

Ram Chandran , India

spring morning

mourning doves coo

for peace

Christina Chin, Malaysia

self

discovery

famous last words

Shane Coppage, United States 

drone of the waka

now all the feverfew flowers

gone to past days

Gillena Cox,  Trinidad

omitting the dots

in all my i's

irises

Alvin B. Cruz, Philippines

dragonfly

no fire

in his last breath

Tracey Davidson,  United Kingdom 

wild parrots
in the pepper tree
chitter chat

Eavonka Ettinger, United States


summer rain…
mud slides
into the soldier’s ears

Adele Evershed, Wales

pond surface
through the Milky Way
koi carps

Małgorzata Formanowska, Poland

tectonic shifts—
overnight
alone

Katja Fox, United Kingdom

peeper songs
accentuate the evening rain
one last sudoku

Joshua Gage, United States


a freight train
appears out of nowhere
the moon disappears

Barbara Anna Gaiardoni, Italy

a robin
from the old wall
surveys his domain

Sarah Das Gupta, United Kingdom

sunflowers weeping
the sun hiding in the clouds
hopeful dreams return

Alta H. Haffner, South Africa 

closing her eyes
snow fills the trees
with silence

John Hawkhead, United Kingdom



april showers
tree-borne baubles of rain
forming chandeliers

Patricia Hawkhead, United Kingdom

unfolding the map
the spicy scent
of redwoods

Ruth Holzer, United States


hailstones 
bouncing bouncing 
koi’s eyes

Kimberly A Horning, United States

rain falls directly
into the swimming pools
man - always thirsty for more

Dörthe Huth, Germany 

sudden chill
frost crunches
behind me

Marilyn Humbert, Australia 

after the wedding
scattered crocuses open
into confetti 

RJ Humbl', United Kingdom

gym
my shadow
hits the floor

Roberta Beach Jacobson, United States


bombed-out buildings all the versions of me

Peter Jastermsky, United States

leaves are falling
the circle of life and death
undertaker crows

Strider Marcus-Jones,  United Kingdom

rolling meadows 
the sound of cowbells 
swaying with the flowers

Govind Joshi, India 

plough moon
in the city
orange cones return

Petro C.K., United States

menopause
the grape under the oven
turns raisin

Maureen Kingston, United States


art show -
I jump from painting
to painting

Krzysztof Kokot, Poland


baby rattler
she strikes at everyone
in her reach

Kimberly Kuchar, United States

shadows swallow me 
I count the bloom 
of frangipani 

Laurie Kuntz, United States


water lilies
pinpricks of color
ripple under brush

Douglas J Lanzo, United States


crossroads
tulips at a red light
still closed

Krzysztof (Mxchx)   Macha, Poland

concert
frog-à-frog
tête-à-tête

Mirjam Mahler, Spain 

family bond
broken by flood . . .
a starling falls 

Bipasha Majumder (De),  India


rapidly retreating
with his nectar needle...
Allen's  hummingbird

Richard Matta, United States

for a moment—
a moth sees the moon
in me

Anne Morrigan, Canada 


womanhood roasting the bones of my father’s child

Kelly Moyer, United States

grandma's care —
an extract of rosewood leaf
mixed with honey

Daipayan Nair, India

college reunion
from the bonfire a smell
of burning secrets

Priya Narayanan, India

peeper songs
accentuate the evening rain
one last sudoku

J.D. Nelson, United States

shamas sing
an ensemble of freedom
within their cages

David Chek Ling Ngo, Malaysia

hands pressed together
fingers facing up
discovering new wrinkles

Uchechukwu Onyedikam, Nigeria

slant
of a late afternoon
beach yoga

Lorraine A Padden, United States


sunflowers--
kids in thoughtfulness
stare eastward

Pravat Kumar Padhy, India


nudist beach 
a snake
sheds its skin

Vandana Parashar, India

pink and white garlands
along the giant
sakura blossoms

Maria Quernel, France


worn-out shoes
by the wayside
gas leak

Ganesh R., India

occupying
the entire pond
a single water lily

Daniela Rodi, Finland


feeling the sting
of the jellyfish
salt and vinegar chips

Michele Rule, Canada


buzzing flies
misunderstood windows
all damn summer

Steven Schutzman, United States

one day
                 to the next
                           hopscotch

Greg Schwartz, United States

juniper needles
gently rub against the sky
lizards play below

Beate Sigriddaughter,  New Mexico

hospice mailbox—
a lizard licks
summer dust

Neena Singh, India

somewhere
under this same moon
hometown 

Tomislav Sjekloća,  Montenegro 

Jacob’s Ladder
a bumblebee ascends
into the clouds

Joshua St. Claire, United States


blowing free
the nelore hide
in the open pasture

R C Thomas, United Kingdom


indigo velvet
drapes the garden - 
dancing fireflies


E.C. Traganas, United States


closing my eyes
to the ripples of life
zen garden

C.X. Turner, United Kingdom


waiting for the bus --
in his arm
a syringe

Tuyet Van Do, Australia


olive seeds
sizzles the pond
ripened moon shadows

Krit Venambal, India


roasting coffee beans…
a star goes down slowly
under the sky

Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania


I look to the Hyades
seeing the past
in a different light

Anthony Ward, United Kingdom


al fresco dining
a fly's meandering flight
table to table

Joseph P Wechselberger, United States


misty waterfall-
her white hair
in thin streaks

Diana Wiese, Germany


late summer
the scent of bare feet
on linoleum

Jamie Wimberly, United States


the strongest goose leads
the skein through the azure sky
ancient ritual

Sue Wood, Scotland

The Poets

Genevieve S Aguinaldo
Farah Ali
Rupa Anand
Cynthia Anderson
Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo
Dr. Santosh Bakaya

Snigdha Banerjee (Agrawal)
Dr Mona Bedi
Jerome Berglund
Bisshie
Mirela Brailean
Maurizio Brancaleoni
Marc Brimble
Dr. Randy Brooks
Lorraine Caputo
Neelam Saxena Chandra
Ram Chandran
Christina Chin
Shane Coppage
Gillena Cox
Alvin B. Cruz
Tracey Davidson
Eavonka Ettinger
Adele Evershed
Małgorzata Formanowska
Katja Fox
Joshua Gage
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni
Sarah Das Gupta
Alta H Haffner
John Hawkhead
Patricia Hawkhead
Ruth Holzer
Kimberly A Horning
Dörthe Huth
Marilyn Humbert
RJ Humbl'
Roberta Beach Jacobson
Peter Jastermsky
Strider Marcus Jones
Govind Joshi
Petro C.K.
Maureen Kingston
Krzysztof Kokot
Kimberly Kuchar
Laurie Kuntz
Douglas J Lanzo
Krzysztof (Mxchx)   Macha
Mirjam Mahler
Bipasha Majumder (De)
Richard Matta
Anne Morrigan
Kelly Moyer
Daipayan Nair
Priya Narayanan
J.D. Nelson
David Chek Ling Ngo
Uchechukwu Onyedikam
Lorraine A Padden
Pravat Kumar Padhy
Vandana Parashar
Maria Quernel
Ganesh R
Daniela Rodi
Michele Rule
Steven Schutzman
Greg Schwartz
Beate Sigriddaughter
Neena Singh
Tomislav Sjekloća
Joshua St. Claire
R C Thomas
E.C. Traganas
C.X. Turner
Tuyet Van Do
Krit Venambal
Steliana Cristina Voicu
Anthony Ward
Joseph P Wechselberger
Diana Wiese
Jamie Wimberly
Sue Wood

 

Copyright : Shadow Pond Journal 

Founding Editor & Curator : Katherine E Winnick