The Shadow Pond Journal Issue Two Winter 2023

Dear Contributors and Supporters of The Shadow Pond Journal:

Welcome to Issue Two, centered around the theme of the elements. It brings me great joy to present this edition to you in time for Christmas, as a special treat in celebration of the season. I would also like to extend heartfelt congratulations to all the featured poets within this issue.

Enjoy

Editors choice:

the sideway sway
of conjoined willows
bossa nova

Elliot Diamond, USA

earth goddess

a cluster of violets

tucked behind one ear

Kelly Sargent, USA

mango breeze lost in language

Srini, India

blue crown

of cornflower petals -

gas ring

Sue Spiers, UK

the wind in withered grass a sparrow

Joshua St Claire, USA 

The Poems 

perched on

the same branch
 two sparrows

Olatunji Ayodeji Abulude, Nigeria  

light kisses
on a lover's nape—
night wind

Genevieve S Aguinaldo,  Phillipines

cliff ascent
hawthorn sculpted
by the wind’s embrace

Farah Ali,  UK 

wading

 through clouds

 the kotuku

Wanda Amos,  Australia 

desert road

a dust devil scatters
my footprints

Cynthia Anderson ,  USA 

bioluminescent night--

a flash of light

as a wave crashes

Susan  Andrews,  USA 

early morning

a sip of hot coffee

wakes her again

Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo, Philippines 

glowing embers

third in the marriage

disturbs equations

Snigdha Agrawal Banerjee, India

after the frost
the canna stalks
ragged robes

Deborah A Bennett, USA 

waving flag

the energy it takes

to be angry 

Jerome Berglund, USA

silence after the blackout 

earth hum

Peggy Bilbro, USA 

the shape of water
the smell of wind
on TV tonight

Daniel Birnbaum,  France 

the long-life
of a cigarette butt
earth, wind, no rain

Alfred Booth,  France 

reflections
for the first time
my grandfather’s face

Marc Brimble, Spain 

no me, no you . . .

watermelon on a vine

wet with dew

Dr Randy Brooks, USA 

what’s left

after the fire

moonscape

B L Bruce, USA 

at the museum

carried away

by Hokusai‘s wave

Stefanie Bucifal, Germany 

let go

early

petals in the lake

Helen Buckingham,  UK 

pounding raindrops -

I hear your apologies 

in soft, hollow splats

Andrew Buckner, USA 

your legs in my lap thunder lightning rain 

Owen Bullock,  Australia 

true love

earth tilting

towards the sun

Susan Burch

monsoon clouds

so low ...

I can even touch the water 

Ram Chandran,  India 

beneath

the collapsed house

a letter written on papyrus

Christina Chin,  Malaysia 

newborn’s coo rides a wind of change

Shane Coppage,  USA 

enough silence

in my solitude

sound of water

Alvin  B Cruz,  Philippines 

his smoldering eyes

ignite my desire -

wildfire

Anne Curran, New Zealand

alchemist
another big-bada-boom
in the science lab 

Tracy Davidson, UK 

            the sideway sway            

of conjoined willows

bossa nova

Elliot Diamond,  USA 

the tiger lily  
ferocious red and gold  
fire pet of the sun

Elaine Dillof,  USA  

evenings like this
are rare
when we cross paths

Jyoti Doley, India

wind-tossed

wishes to see you

dandelion

Eavonka Ettinger,  USA 

frozen waterfall

the final phase 

of mourning

Malgorzata  Formanowska 

nighttime swimming —

the gentle flow

of the ink brush

Katja Fox,  UK 

night  rains  passing  arrhythmia

Robbie Gamble, USA 

love ends
he keeps opening
the lids of pickle jars

Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada 

traces of the wind

leisurely in the pasture - 

Autumn at the end

George Goldberg, UK 

new winter shoes -

with every puddle

another curse

S.Eta Grubešić, Serbia 

cold in the earth
the north wind blows
frozen tears

Sarah Das Gupta,  UK 

serendipity...

my thirst

your slake

Jennifer Gurney, USA 

snow                                              brilliant on 
mountains                                              always a 

surprise

Cindy Bousquet Harris, USA 

deepening dusk

laughter from a car

warms the parking lot

David He, China 

leaf-covered pond
the allure
of walking on water

Ruth Holzer,  USA 

sea breeze
an urge to unfurl
my soul

Edward Cody Huddleston,  USA 

lava sun

the desert wellspring

an illusion

Marilyn Humbert,  Australia 

cold silence

the closing of the door

a candle shivers 

R J Humbl',UK   

village well 

the mossy smell 

of the parched earth 

Lakshmi Iyer, India 

running with rakes our deciduous world

Roberta Beach Jacobson, USA

bent
the old tree looks down
on its roots

Kyle Jones, USA  

old chestnut tree

impressions of life

on his weathered face

Govind Joshi,  India 

pungency puckers

calico at the window—

winter savory

Monica Kakkar, India / USA 

sunset -

my green tea

quite golden  

Wiesław Karliński, Poland  

remembering 

the feel of the fire...

father's cremation 

Mohammad Azim Khan,  Pakistan  

shallow end
the depth              from dad's
                   slipping                    breath

Anju Kishore,  India 

a tea field–

from leaf to leaf

rain drops

Krzysztof Kokot, Poland 

old sketchpad

the shadows darken 

my fingertips

Kimberly Kuchar,  USA 

rustling leaf
a refugee boy wakens
trembling from his dreams

Douglas J Lanzo, USA 

life/death intertwine
a wildflower returning
after a burning

Lisa Lauziere,  USA 

dynamite scars the skin of a mountain face

Barrie Levine,  USA 

foggy morning
the soft edge
of a crows call

Linda Lee Ludwig,  USA 

cold water

dyes swimmer’s body

- red

Mirjam Mahler,  Germany 

winter evening
stirring fireside chat into
my lemon tea

Bipasha Majumder (De)

first light...

the doe nibbles

a long-stemmed rose

Richard Matta,  USA 

wild anxiety
cold air catches at my throat
suffocating fist

Aaishah Mayet,  South Africa 

bay view huts

high water laps at doors

in warming air

Rob McKinnon,  Australia  

ice cubes melt
as we talk about nothing
untouched tea

Wilda Morris,  USA  

water burial

finally you get to touch

the horizon

Priya Narayanan, India 

zinc and tin

sisters' joy in resisting

retirement rust 

Melissa Leaf Nelson,  USA 

scarlet river lilies the day thins to twilight

Claire Ninham,  UK 

drops of graphite
on Neptune
diamond rain

Voima Oy,  USA 

contained…
our mutual air
in his casket

Lorraine A Padden,  USA 

forgetting why
we're angry
first snow

John Pappas,  USA 

hibiscus petals

dewdrops

tumbling

Apsara Perrera, Sri Lanka 

winter rain ...
no one to visit
the unknown soldier

Milan Rajkumar, India 

granite cliff
the slow erosion
of guilt

Valentina Ranaldi-Adams,  USA 

tidal moon -
sand-etched poem
washed away

Alison Rogers, Australia 

a cup of tea—
leaves decay
in a forest pool

Nicholas H Rosler, USA 

summer rainstorm

wet silk of kimono sticks

to skin

Michele Rule,  Canada 

volcanic tongue
poised to strike
Mt. Merapi

Jharna Sanyal,  India  

earth goddess

a cluster of violets

tucked behind one ear

Kelly Sargent,  USA 

gathering eggs

spring rain drips

from the barn roof

Barbara Tate Sayre, USA   

we dive into a kiss
breathe through each other
underwater

Steven Schutzman,  USA 

oxbow lakes
the discarded friends
of the river

Jenny Shepherd,  UK 

dark clouds…

the unshed tears

of the ocean

Neena Singh,  India 

mango breeze lost in language

Srini , India 

blue crown

of cornflower petals –

gas ring

Sue Spiers, UK 

the wind in withered grass a sparrow 

Joshua St Claire,  USA 

December rain --

louder than the story

trying to be written

Kate Steere, USA 

why do we kiss
under the mistletoe
snow angels

Alan Summers, UK 

sudden downpour

sheltering at a bus stop

two pigeons

Claire Thom, Spain 

in a single drop
of ocean water
baby crabs

Corine Timmer, Portugal 

great blue heron 

the whole river

in its wings

Stephen Toft, UK 

feet in the creek
each river rock
different

C X Turner,  UK 

wind swept tree
her flowing hair
follows the river

Anthony John Ward, UK 

storm winds
the old church full
of cooing pigeons

Joseph P Wechselberger, USA 

a thread

in a tapestry

the earthworm's masterpiece

Robert Witmer,  Japan 

raindrop rivulets

trickle and merge

mighty oceans

Sue Wood, Scotland 

my nephew blows

first dandelion…

the sky fills with dreams

Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania 

sand verbena
in the drainage ditch
watered by moon

Scott Wiggerman,  USA 

dig site
their hands dirty
with the past

Tony Williams,  Scotland  

evil stare—

the erupting volcano

from father’s eyes

Nitu Yumnam ,  UAE 

The Poets 

Olatunji Ayodeji Abulude 

Genevieve S Aguinaldo 

Farah Ali

Wanda Amos

Cynthia Anderson 

Susan Andrews 

Lorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo
Snigdha Agrawal Banerjee

Deborah A Bennett 
Jerome Berglund

Peggy Bilbro 

Daniel Birnbaum 

Alfred Booth 

Marc Brimble 
Dr Randy Brooks
B L Bruce

Stefanie Bucifal

Helen Buckingham  

Andrew Buckner 

Owen Bullock  

Susan Burch 

Ram Chandran
Christina Chin

Shane Coppage 

Alvin B Cruz 
Anne Curran

Tracy Davidson 

Elliot Diamond 

Elaine Dillof 

Jyoti Doley 
Eavonka Ettinger

Małgorzata Formanowska 

Katja Fox 

Robbie Gamble  

Jahnavi Gogoi

George Goldberg 

Sarah Das Gupta 

S.Eta Grubešić

Jennifer Gurney 

Cindy Bousquet Harris 

David He 

Ruth Holzer

Edward Cody Huddleston 

Marilyn Humbert 

R  J Humbl' 
Lakshmi Iyer
Roberta Beach Jacobson

Kyle Jones 
Govind Joshi

Monica Kakkar 

Wiesław Karliński 

Mohammad Azim Khan 

Anju Kishore
Krzysztof Kokot

Kimberly Kuchar 

Douglas J Lanzo 

Lisa Lauziere 

Barrie Levine 

Linda Lee Ludwig  

Mirjam Mahler 
Bipasha Majumder (De)
Richard Matta

Aaishah Mayet 

Rob McKinnon 

Wilda Morris  

Priya Narayanan 

Melissa Leaf Nelson 

Claire Ninham 

Voima Oy

Lorraine A Padden 

John Pappas 

Apsara Perrera 

Milan Rajkumar 

Valentina Ranaldi-Adams 

Alison Rogers 

Nicholas H Rosler 

Michele Rule

Jharna Sanyal 

Kelly Sargent 

Barbara Tate Sayre 

Steven Schutzman 

Jenny Shepherd 
Neena Singh

Srini

Sue Spiers 

Joshua St Claire 

Kate Steere 

Alan Summers 
Claire Thom

Corine Timmer 

Stephen Toft 

C X Turner 

Anthony John Ward 

Joseph P. Wechselberger

Robert Witmer 

Sue Wood 

Steliana Cristina Voicu

Scott Wiggerman 

Tony Williams 

Nitu Yumnam 

Copyright : Shadow Pond Journal 

Founding Editor & Curator : Katherine E Winnick 

Images  : Zdenek  Machasek (snowflake)

Fabrice Villard (tree)