Shadow Pond Journal Issue V
Ukiyo-e Woodblock print by Kitao Shigemasa, circa 1772 - 1776, entitled Third Lunar Month, Blossom Viewing at Asuka Hill
👁 : Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Editor’s Note – Issue V: Love
Welcome to the fifth issue of The Shadow Pond Journal—our second anniversary edition. Two years ago, this journal began as a quiet space to reflect the depths and nuances of the haiku moment. With each issue, we’ve explored what it means to be human in relationship with the world. This time, we turn our attention to one of the most enduring, complex, and quietly revolutionary themes: love.
Love, in its many forms—devotional, fractured, fleeting, enduring—can be both a whisper and a storm. In curating this issue, I found myself drawn to haiku that offered more than sentimentality. These 82 poems were chosen not only for their craft, but for the unexpected angles they took—reminders that love is rarely neat, often ambiguous, and always personal.
As a special treat to mark our two-year milestone, I had the pleasure of speaking with esteemed poet and psychologist Bruce Feingold, whose insights into haiku, humanity, and heartfulness add a rich dimension to this issue. His words, like the poems, remind us that haiku is a form of love in itself—a patient, attentive way of seeing.
You may notice that this issue contains fewer poems than usual. This was a deliberate choice. Love is a subject that invites repetition, and I wanted to preserve the clarity and distinctiveness of each voice. Sometimes, restraint is its own kind of devotion.
Thank you to all the poets who submitted their work and to our readers who return again and again to these quiet waters. Here's to another year of depth, discovery, and yes—love.
Warmly,
Katherine Winnick
Editor, The Shadow Pond Journal
The Poems
tapas plates...
I slipped into a place of nirvana
secured forever
Snigdha Agrawal, India
honeymoon
my ivory dress sinks
to the floor
Jessica Allyson, Canada
Qutub Minar
pigeons in love
with the sky
Rupa Anand, India
my final answer Venus at dusk
Cynthia Anderson, USA
moonrise
the first touch
of your skin
Joanna Ashwell, UK
lotus mouth
ritual devotion even
when let down
Jerome Berglund, USA
sake -
melts on our tongues
no transcripts available
Laila Brahmbhatt, India
snow patches
all suspension points
in your letter
Mirela Brailean, Romania
evening coolness —
a fly woos me
without mercy
Maurizio Brancaleoni, Italy
unable to close
their petals in sunlight
bee lovers
Dr Randy Brooks, USA
lingering clouds
the shadow of your mouth
over mine
Stefanie Bucifal, Germany
half-moon night chiaroscuro of my dreams
Lakshman Bulusu, USA
ge(ode) to a star
Susan Burch
elderberry blooms
caught in a moment
of surrender
Sarah Mahina Calvello
forget-me-nots
a parting message
upon her grave
Paul Callus, Malta
love letter
no signature
no return address
John Paul Caponigro
I look for the sun
but find the moon
instead
Patricia Carragon, USA
autumn leaves
your silence between my words
Christina Chin, Malaysia
regurgitating
everything he says
love birds
Jackie Chou, USA
thunderhead
so sweet we could eat
that purple sky
Sara Clancy, USA
after the end
the beginning
blue iris
Alvin B Cruz, Philippines
metro kiss
the little plaster
over my past
Dr Timothy Daly, France
the weight
of a moment...
so much left unsaid
Melissa Dennison, UK
past love
hydrangea flowers wither
but don't fall
Marie Derley, Belgium
dancing butterflies
her breath
across my skin
C Jean Downer, Canada
steamy shower
I leave love notes
on the mirror
Baisali Chatterjee Dutt, India
the dawn of protest
a deep prolonged kiss
of hope
Bruce Feingold, USA
white garden
the scent of jasmine
her whisper
Lucas Pesso Feniman, Brazil
in the sky
three words appear
and my world stands still
Katja Fox, UK
sunday a coffee for two
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni, Italy
dating app—
the last shafts of light
in a clouded sky
Goran Gatalica, Croatia
red tulips
my love for him
one-sided …
Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada
succumbing to a Venus flytrap once more
Alvaro Carrasquel Gomez, Venezuela
returning home
I study my wife’s patience
through a crack
Andrew Grossman, USA
the separation—
cherry petals fall
between our dreams
Dorna Hainds
sugar hearts
your sweet messages
melting on my tongue
Ruth Holzer, USA
deeper water
a mermaid shows me
her colors
Lee Hudspeth, USA
moon-tugged tides
the familial bond
Marilyn Humbert, Australia
clumsy feet
bride's unrehearsed dance
with grandpa
Roberta Beach Jacobson, USA
departing train
he embraces her
with his eyes
Govind Joshi, India
cut a caper . . .
mellow in mulmul
red vermilion summer
Monica Kakkar, India/USA
church steps
how long before I knew
she hadn't come?
Emil Karla, France
your rules
will I win
you over
Ravi Kiran, Hyderabad
inflamed trees
strip bare
to seduce summer
MK Kuol, South Sudan
trembling of a lilac
in gentle rain
first kiss
Douglas J Lanzo, USA
emotional support
the song I hear
in his bark
Barrie Levine, USA
cannabalism -
in love
two praying mantises
Mile Lisica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
as if my late wife's hand
caressed my wrinkled face ...
blossom rain
Chen-ou Liu, Canada
cold breath-
only in our hearts
is there warmth
Brigita Lukina, Croatia
longing of the heart-
fog covers a mysterious
expanse
Glorija Lukina, Croatia
kintsugi garden
life always offers
a second chance
Krzysztof (Mxchx) Macha, Poland
violet bloom
the lingering color
of her voice
Richard Matta, USA
with you the timelessness of one heart beat
Rita Melissano, USA
buttercups –
two young lovers
hand in hand
Daniela Misso, Italy
threads of smoke
in the space between us
silent fire
Rashmi Mohapatra, India
caressed
by a peacock feather . . .
my breasts bloom
Veronika Zora Novak, Canada
weeping into
the river
rusting padlocks
Gareth Nurden, Wales
summer snow still reading
both of our
predictions
predictions
Vishal Prabhu, India
coca leaves
the shaman unfurls
into the cupid
Ganesh R, India
spraying mist
on a dozen red roses
powder rain
Geethanjali Rajan, India
suspension bridge
he loves me
he loves me not
Miera Rao, USA
the side path
to the stream
our kiss
Bryan Rickert, USA
how the bee
knows the bee balm
meeting in life after life
Kelly Sargent, USA
love me
love (me) knot
that unbreakable bond(age)
Bonnie J Scherer, Alaska
storm clouds
we haven't spoken in hours
our living trust
Ronald Scully, USA
on her breakfast tray
a garden-gathered bouquet
just because
Jenny Shepherd, UK
rain delay—
we speak only
in parentheses
Nalini Shetty, India
early thaw
my wedding ring
slips a little
Neena Singh, India
the most enchanting
of galaxies
her freckled face
Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro
morning glory
the fingers of the sun
caressing her breasts
Joshua St Claire, USA
golden anniversary the moonflower’s heart-shaped leaves
Debbie Strange, Canada
gatekeeper butterfly
on a soldier's wound
rising barley moon
Alan Summers, UK
moonlight profile
a side of her
only I see
Leon Tefft, USA
after the quarrel
her lingering kiss gentle
on my forehead
Anne Marie Tvpm, India
twilight in Santorini -
the mix piper shades
of our relationship
Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania
hazy moon
the voices of tree frogs
searching for mates
Joseph P. Wechselberger, USA
oriental sky lantern
I write your name
on a rising moon
Richard West, USA
umami—
learning to love
myself
Tony Williams, Scotland
proposal
the white clover he ties
on her finger
Kathabela Wilson, USA
snowflakes melt slow kisses in the open mouth of the sea
Robert Witmer, Japan
crescent light
tracing the shape
of your absence
Nitu Yumnam, UAE
what colour the heart
dividing brothers
by skin colour
Mariam Roshan Zachariah
The Poets
Snigdha Agrawal, India
Jessica Allyson, Canada
Rupa Anand, India
Cynthia Anderson, USA
Joanna Ashwell, UK
Jerome Berglund, USA
Laila Brahmbhatt, India
Mirela Brailean, Romania
Maurizio Brancaleoni, Italy
Dr Randy Brooks, USA
Stefanie Bucifal, Germany
Lakshman Bulusu, USA
Susan Burch
Sarah Mahina Calvello
Paul Callus, Malta
John Paul Caponigro
Patricia Carragon, USA
Christina Chin, Malaysia
Jackie Chou, USA
Sara Clancy, USA
Alvin B Cruz, Philippines
Dr Timothy Daly, France
Melissa Dennison, UK
Marie Derley, Belgium
C Jean Downer, Canada
Baisali Chatterjee Dutt, India
Bruce Feingold, USA
Lucas Pesso Feniman, Brazil
Katja Fox, UK
Barbara Anna Gaiardoni, Italy
Goran Gatalica, Croatia
Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada
Alvaro Carrasquel Gomez, Venezuela
Andrew Grossman, USA
Dorna Hainds
Ruth Holzer, USA
Lee Hudspeth, USA
Marilyn Humbert, Australia
Roberta Beach Jacobson, USA
Govind Joshi, India
Monica Kakkar, India/USA
Emil Karla, France
Ravi Kiran, Hyderabad
MK Kuol, South Sudan
Douglas J Lanzo, USA
Barrie Levine, USA
Mile Lisica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Chen-ou Liu, Canada
Brigita Lukina, Croatia
Glorija Lukina, Croatia
Krzysztof (Mxchx) Macha, Poland
Richard Matta, USA
Rita Melissano, USA
Daniela Misso, Italy
Rashmi Mohapatra, India
Veronika Zora Novak, Canada
Gareth Nurden, Wales
Vishal Prabhu, India
Ganesh R, India
Geethanjali Rajan, India
Miera Rao, USA
Bryan Rickert, USA
Kelly Sargent, USA
Bonnie J. Scherer, Alaska
Ronald Scully, USA
Jenny Shepherd, UK
Nalini Shetty, India
Neena Singh, India
Tomislav Sjekloća, Montenegro
Joshua St Claire, USA
Debbie Strange, Canada
Alan Summers, UK
Leon Tefft, USA
Anne Marie Tvpm, India
Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania
Joseph P. Wechselberger, USA
Richard West, USA
Tony Williams, Scotland
Kathabela Wilson, USA
Robert Witmer, Japan
Nitu Yumnam, UAE
Mariam Roshan Zachariah
INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE FEINGOLD
Touchstone Awards Committee
The Haiku Foundation USA
👁 : Bruce Feingold
Courtesy of The Haiku Foundation USA
How did you come to learn about haiku?
I was an English major in college, but had never been formally introduced to haiku. Before I started writing haiku I published free verse. Then, for my fortieth birthday, a friend gave me Basho’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and poetic lightning hit me. I thought, “I can write haiku!” At this juncture life was full: I was happily married with two young children and immersed in my career, but I missed an avenue for creative expression. With haiku’s emphasis on nature, crystalizing the essence of an emotion, being in the here and now and seeing the heart of things, it was a perfect match for me. As a bonus, I could write in a quick moment in the course of daily life.
Looking back, it makes sense that haiku found me and called to me. At age eleven, I was camping at Mount Lassen in Northern California and woke up in the middle of the night to a sky lit up by the Milky Way, and for the first time I experienced the act of truly seeing. The stars were not dimmed by city lights and not dry classroom facts. The sky was alive, and I experienced a sense of awe with the natural world which has been a core spiritual
reality my whole life. From age seventeen onwards I became an avid backpacker, fisherman, gardener, wildflower man and birdwatcher. I explored meditation, yoga, William Blake and the Beats; fast forward to my doctoral dissertation in 1979 when I explored the mental heath and spiritual benefits of wilderness experiences. The stars lined up in amazing synchronicity to discover haiku at an opportune period in my life.
Did you have any mentors?
After reading Basho, swept up with naive enthusiasm and knowing nothing else about haiku, I submitted perfect 5/7/5 haiku to Modern Haiku. I had no idea that the editor Robert Spiess, received thousands of submissions each reading period yet he was encouraging and generous with his time. He took me under his wings and rejected all but one poem which was published in 1991:
traveling alone
vultures float in a pale sky
the half moon glowing
In the days of paper submissions, Robert included a crisp one dollar bill with his acceptances and wrote what will sound familiar to old timers:
“A couple of others were ‘sort of close'. What you tend to do in many of your haiku is to intellectualize. D.T. Suzuiki said ‘A haiku should not express ideas but put forward perceptions reflecting intuitions.’” I still treasure his handwritten note!
I became a voracious reader of the classical Japanese masters, early American haiku poets, the renown journals of the era, and seminal treatise like the Haiku Handbook. From these readings and from Robert, I learned haiku fundamentals: the centrality of images, brevity, simplicity, resonance and meaning, originality, the sense of now and the moment, juxtaposition, cutting, rhythm and musicality, kigo and connection with the natural world, the importance of surprise, and the value of authenticity and writing from the heart.
The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotbed of talented haiku poets so joining the Haiku Poets of Northern California enhanced my feeling of community, and I received invaluable encouragement and support. I learned the value and pleasure of listening to poets read their work and engaging in workshops with fellow haikuists.
Along the haiku path, Stanford F. Forrester and Francine Porad emboldened me to express heart felt emotion and write about everything and anything. As an editor of Frogpond Jim Kacian gave me valuable feedback, published my first collection, A New Moon (2004), and encouraged my service to the haiku community. Chuck Brickley, Randy Brooks, Renee Owen, and Joseph Robello provided editorial feedback on my collections, and Chuck, Randy, John Stevenson and Paul Miller inspired me to be fresh and contemporary yet honor haiku tradition and to develop a critical eye.
There are many others whose work I admire ,who have been supportive throughout the years and I have been fortunate enough to have worked together on haiku projects with: Fay Aoyagi, Susan Antolin, Brad Bennet, Paul Chambers, Francine Barnwarth, Hank Dunlap, Robert Epstein, Terri French, Garry Gay, Johnnie Johnson Hafernik, Deborah Kolodji, Bev Acuff Momoi, Chad Lee Robinson, Patricia Macmiller, and BillieWilson , just to name a few!
Poets with fresh voices, like Robin Smith, Julie Bloss Kelsey and Alan Summers, challenge me to be open to haiku invention. Reading the most avant-garde poets, who are stretching the boundaries of language, expands my creative expression. Who wants to be a haiku curmudgeon?
Do you have a writing process and where do you feel most inspired to write?
I write everywhere, every moment and nowhere and not at all! I have rich creative periods, spurred by the highs and lows of life, and fallow periods when I feel I’ll never write anything worthwhile again.
My writing process relies on being open to experience and expressing what is happening in me and around me. Nothing is more satisfying than after an inner, interpersonal, socio-political or natural stimulus, a haiku miraculously arises from the unconscious: many of my haiku are relatively unchanged from these inspirations. They are spontaneous, joyful, authentic and tap into deeper realities. Haiku also arise from silence and stillness, when we listen to inner stirrings.
Nonetheless, haiku is also a craft. There are poems which I have tried to write for decades and only later pinpoint the right words or the correct form, which matches the poem. Playing around with order and syntax, editing extraneous words, stretching the boundaries of language, reading a poem out loud for sound and rhythm, getting feedback from other poets, and experimenting with a haiku as a one liner versus a traditional three liner, are all tools of the trade.
Several other factors stimulate the creative juices: reading the classics and contemporary haiku, including journals and new collections; being outdoors whether on a hike or in my treasured garden, traveling far and wide, being aware of the political and social movements of the zeistgeist and being present with family and friends.
Do you have any favourite haiku of yours that you'de like to share?
I’d like to share a range of poems to illustrate some trends in English-speaking haiku.
Here’s a contemporary nature haiku, which is a poem I struggled to write for several years after the actual experience:
mudbank
the eye blink
of a bull frog
2023 Golden Triangle Award, 2nd Place
Even in Basho’s era, haiku included a kigo and a specific human element. In other words, even in the beginning, haiku were never only pure nature, objective poems:
moonless night
my reclusive neighbor
points out Jupiter
Modern Haiku 41.3 Autumn, 2010
inside the mirror: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 2005, Editors, Jim Kacian and staff (Red Moon Press, 2006)
Originally, senryu was ironic and comical comments about human nature which is also one of my favorite genres:
Egotesticle
Commended [Innovative], The Haiku Foundation HaikuNow! International Haiku Contest (2012)
In 2016 I was activated by the United States election and concurrently had a sudden, dangerous arrhythmia spurring this spontaneous poem. I believe this poem illustrates the evolution of English-speaking senryu towards the political and social challenges of our time.
arrhythmia the unraveling of the republic
Mariposa 37, Autumn- Winter, 2017
old song: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 2017, Editors, Jim Kacian and staff, 2018.
When did you start teaching haiku?
Over the years I have given numerous readings and interviews which in themselves are educational. When I do readings I share my process and views of contemporary haiku. Even in my first book A New Moon (2004) I wrote an epilogue called, “A Brief Explanation of Haiku for Non-Haiku Readers and Friends.”
On a formal basis I have been a Haiku Society of America mentor for several years to burgeoning haiku poets, and the personal connection, and being part of their growth as poets, has been enjoyable and rewarding.
What advice would you give to someone new to haiku?
I’ll summarize my advice in three parts: Read read, read, seek out haiku mentors, friends and organizations, and be brave.
I believe it’s crucial to know the history of haiku and being well versed in haiku writers who came before us and know the ‘rules’ but don’t be afraid to stretch boundaries and develop your unique voice and signature style. Be bold, let your writing wings fly, and don’t be afraid of to make ‘mistakes’ and write ‘bad' haiku. I’ve written more awful haiku than the stars in the heavens. Finally, for many, haiku becomes a journey of self discovery and a spiritual practice akin to meditation.
I encourage new and old haiku poets to read classical poets like Basho, Buson, Chiyo-ni, Shiki, Issa and Santoka and the early American haiku masters like Hackett, Roseliep , Peggy Lyles, Willis, and Dickson, just to name a few.
Read the early synopsis of haiku in the seminal haiku books like Haiku Handbook by William Higgenson and ‘how to guides’ such as Lee Gurga's A Poets' Guide (there are many newer ones as well). If you can afford it, purchase your favorite authors from the contemporary haiku publishers like Red Moon Press, Brooks Books, Alba, Cutltlefish, and Snapshot.
Online resources are plentiful: The Haiku Foundation (https://thehaikufoundation.
Frogpond and Modern Haiku are musts for the serious haiku poet, and I would add bottle rockets which has its own unique niche. There are terrific international journals like Presence and the Trevini. There are many journals which are free online like The Heron's Nest, failed haiku, Prune Juice, tiny words, Whiptail and your own, Shadow Pond..
I highly recommend joining HSA and a local chapter or similar organizations across the globe. Attend as many haiku conferences as you can and look for zoom readings and presentations so you can hear poets in their own voices. Finally, HSA offers intimate mentee groups which are supportive, educational and fun. Finally, as you become involved in haiku, consider volunteering locally or nationally as this may both enrich your own writing and lend support to your haiku journey.
To become a friend of the Shadow Pond Journal ;
Shadow Pond Journal is a free publication as a contribution to the international haiku community and is run voluntarily.
If you would like to contribute please head over to www.ko-fi.com/katherineewinnick
A beautiful issue, honoured to be included. A great interview with Bruce too, thank you.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful edition! I enjoyed reading it! Thank you for published my poem! 🌹
ReplyDeleteWhat an enlightening interview, so nice to learn more about Bruce's history, philosophy and process! :D Katherine is such an incredibly talented and visionary editor, seriously what an issue the elegant design elevates enormously too really went extra mile here, absolutely one of most stunning publications (in form and content) out there, love to see it! Congratulations gifted featured poets!!
ReplyDelete