Shadow Pond Journal 3rd Anniversary Special Edition : issue VII 2026

 

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Welcome back to our global village of poets from twenty plus countries for this 3rd Anniversary Edition of the Shadow Pond Journal   - Issue VII. This is a culturally rich edition with  lots of great feels; a little something for everyone. A Japanese dictionary will come in handy for some of you! I have refrained from making an Editor’s Choice this time around as I think you're all great; I will save the picks for the Touchstone Awards Nominations which are to be announced at a later date. We have a tighter selection of poems here - I feel the seventy five poems chosen depict the theme beautifully. This issue incorporates an interesting  interview with the lovely well-known haiku and tanka poet,  Kathabela Wilson; president of the Tanka Society of America.

Enjoy...

Katherine E Winnick 

Editor 

The Poems

with each step

belonging deepens

yashikirin 

Rupa Anand,  India 

goslings

the softer side

of aging

Marilyn Ashbaugh,  USA 

prairie wind
a crow gliding
through my thoughts

Hifsa Ashraf,  Pakistan 

oriole song

my soul soars

back into sky

Joanna Ashwell,  UK 

he slips past the mundane through the yana and yani of her sensu

Snigdha Agrawal (Banerjee), India 

wounded breast

sheltering beneath soft folds

red silk kimono

Belinda Behne, USA

autumn wind -

noh play of the magpies 

and men 

Deborah A Bennett,  USA 

will wear 

it until it smells 

gold filling 

Jerome Berglund,  USA 

can I set

the margins of happiness

blooming roses

Boryana Boteva,  Bulgaria 

spring darkness —

acquainting myself

with the night in me

Maurizio Brancaleoni,  Italy 

carrying my wife

like we are newlyweds

the lazy river

Dr Randy Brooks,  USA 

june wind unhaunting the house

Gordon Brown, Syria/USA

torn skies mended by birdsong

Stefanie Bucifal, Germany 

indoor writing session
shining through the letters
half-moon

Lakshman Bulusu, USA 

being more transparent jellyfish

Susan Burch 

song festival -

connecting with an audience

on the hanamichi

Paul Callus,  Malta 

folded angles—

my lost kitten

emerges

Patricia Carragon,  USA 

eyes dissolve into the green

Brad Carrington,  UK 

twilight —

a koel song

spreads with jasmine scent

Ram Chandran,  India 

failed monsoon—

through the torn screen

a roomful of crickets

Sandip Chauhan,  USA 

flick of a fan

the face changer’s

mask turns red

Christina Chin,  Malaysia 

spring rain—

in a puddle full of petals

butterflies in pairs

Subhash Roy Choudhury , India 

hare and I

no night black enough

to disappear

John Chmura, USA 

seal surfs past
channelling
the waves power

Ivan Cole,  Australia 

ink dripping

from a calligraphy brush –

winter crows

Alvin B Cruz,  Philippines 

the secrets

between the folds--

fortune cookie

D'ellen, USA 

paper cup—

salt wind

softening the rim

Dr. Elliot Diamond,  USA 

the train’s final stop—

a distant church

a forgotten prayer 

Tim Dwyer,  Northern Ireland 

meerkat —

he clicks

another link

Mark Farrar,  UK 

uchiwa to mom...

her blooming smile

on kanreki

Ravi G., India 

gunbai the samurai spirit in my mind

Barbara Anna Gaiardoni,  Italy 

the lyrebird suite

of mimicked sounds

in my veins

Goran Gatalica,  Croatia 

mushiatsui

our passion cooling 

by the minute 

Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada 

long winter hanging the wind chimes inside

Rachel Greve, USA 

golden leaf—

crumbling in my fingers

Patricia Haddock,  USA 

dawn breaking fast a fawn pauses the rain

Joy Hallinan, USA 

springs first skylark

how many more times

will i hear it

Christer Hansson, Sweden 

into the woods

until the birds start singing

in me again

Denisa Hanšutová, Slovakia 

mayfly moults

a second chance to be

someone else

    John Hawkhead,  UK 

in the shadow

of the green heron

evening frogsong

Ruth Holzer, USA 

blue glow her IV pump thinking it’s yesterday

Lee Hudspeth,  USA 

wafts of wind
windflowers weave
a cobra dance

Marilyn Humbert,  Australia 

field of tulips doing my best to get lost

Roberta Beach Jacobson,  USA 

incinerator 

white smoke

joins the clouds

Padmasiri Jayathilaka ,Sri Lanka 

bad conscience


in the in-betweens


of blue sky



Emil Karla,  France 

gumusservi

the ripples from her toes

Arvinder Kaur, India

above

pigeon on her nest

in the plum tree

Mark Lawlor,  UK 

skipping stones

somewhere in the pond        

our might-have-beens

 

Barrie Levine,  USA 

virga — 

a new crib 

still empty

Martina Matijević, Croatia 

slicing through darkness moonbeam

Rita R. Melissano, USA

birch bark shedding my self

Isabella Mori,  Canada 

lost in translating

image to story

gallery moments

Graeme Needham,  UK 

mountain inversion 

walking this line between 

cloud and clear 

Ben Oliver,  UK 

jisei lesson

my daughter asks if

I've written mine

John Pappas,  USA 

another day
with a distance to cover
black clock beetle

Thomas Powell,  Wales, Northern Ireland 

red dahlia -

coming into 

the weight of herself

Vishal Prabhu, India 

dark desire -

in the shadows of sunset

fireflies

Maria Cristina Pulvirenti,  Italy 

lying on the ground

a folded paper hand fan

becomes a green frog

K.Rajakumarn, India 

color of winter

a letter arrives

from the border 

Geethanjali Rajan,  India 

sand dunes

        twenty years

a housewife

Vaishnavi Ramaswamy , India 

last king

the servants swing

the hanging fans

Arunachalashiva Ravisankar, India 

finding my place

in the order of things

dandelion fluff

Bryan Rickert,  USA 

the wrinkle
that wasn’t there yesterday
parched earth

Bonnie J Scherer, USA 

at the crossroads

of gratitude and grief

old age

Steven Schutzman , USA 

monsoon wedding

the bride’s veil

mirrors the moon

Neena Singh,  India 

quarter moon

mountain     valley

half open half shut

 

Sue Spiers,  UK 

in the darkness

by the white pines

what I left behind

Joshua St Claire,  USA 

wild mint

I brew what keeps

coming back

C. X. Turner,  UK 

tracing

your cursive writing

— a half moon

Tuyet Van Do,  Australia 

hanami ends...
on a kimono's neckband
glittering stars

Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania 

rain in sunlight—

a footprint

fills

Thomas L. Vaultonburg, USA 

komorebi
resting at a gully
too wet to cross

Joseph P. Wechselberger, USA 

that snapping sound

turtles yawn and wake

I pose

Kathabela Wilson,  USA 

spring twilight

within every fold

of her prom dress

Jamie Wimberly,  USA 

cherry blossoms

spring frost

confetti

Sue Wood, Scotland 

The Poets

Rupa Anand,  India 

Marilyn Ashbaugh,  USA 

Hifsa Ashraf,  Pakistan 

Joanna Ashwell,  UK 

Snigdha Agrawal (Banerjee), India 

Belinda Behne,  USA 

Deborah A Bennett,  USA 

Jerome Berglund,  USA 

Boryana Boteva,  Bulgaria 

Maurizio Brancaleoni,  Italy

Dr Randy Brooks,  USA 

Gordon Brown,  Syria/USA 

Stefanie Bucifal, Germany 

Lakshman Bulusu, USA 

Susan Burch 

Paul Callus,  Malta

Patricia Carragon,  USA 

Brad Carrington,  UK 

Ram Chandran,  India 

Sandip Chauhan,  USA 

Christina Chin,  Malaysia 

Subhash Roy Choudhury , India 

John Chmura, USA 

Ivan Cole,  Australia 

Alvin B Cruz,  Philippines 

D'ellen,  USA 

Dr. Elliot Diamond,  USA 

Tim Dwyer,  Northern Ireland 

Mark Farrar, UK 

Ravi G., India 

Barbara Anna Gaiardoni,  Italy 

Goran Gatalica,  Croatia 

Rachel Greve, USA 

Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada 

Patricia Haddock,  USA 

Joy Hallinan,  USA 

Christer Hansson , Sweden 

Denisa Hanšutová, Slovakia

John Hawkhead,  UK 

Ruth Holzer,  USA 

Lee Hudspeth, USA 

Marilyn Humbert,  Australia 

Roberta Beach Jacobson,  USA 

Padmasiri Jayathilaka ,Sri Lanka 

Emil Karla,  France. 

Arvinder Kaur, India

Mark Lawlor,  UK 

Barrie Levine,  USA 

Martina Matijević, Croatia 

Rita R Melissano,  USA 

Isabella Mori,  Canada 

Graeme Needham,  UK 

Ben Oliver,  UK 

John Pappas,  USA 

Thomas Powell,  Wales/ Northern Ireland 

Vishal Prabhu,  India 

Maria Cristina Pulvirenti,  Italy 

K.Rajakumarn, India 

Geethanjali Rajan,  India 

Vaishnavi Ramaswamy , India 

Arunachalashiva Ravisankar, India 

Bryan Rickert,  USA 

Bonnie J Scherer, USA 

Steven Schutzman , USA 

Neena Singh,  India 

Sue Spiers,  UK 

Joshua St Claire,  USA 

C. X. Turner,  UK 

Tuyet Van Do,  Australia 

Steliana Cristina Voicu,  Romania 

Thomas L. Vaultonburg, USA 

Joseph P. Wechselberger, USA 

Kathabela Wilson,  USA 

Jamie Wimberly, USA 

Sue Wood,  Scotland 

Interview with KATHABELA WILSON:

How did you come to learn about haiku? 

Haiku feels like it was planted deeply in my past...I recognize haiku moments as familiar friends; my father was a poet and read me the great poetry of the English Language before I could read and onwards in childhood. He was my natural mentor, and my mother too! She loved poetry and lived a long life, she lived to 96! She read and encouraged my writing to the end. She spoke five languages; was Maltese, and she was a little island who welcomed everyone.  She was haiku like and grew up in an international community in Port Said where her father worked at the British Consulate. I have photos of her holding and reading Atlas Poetica with a big smile. But I am getting ahead of myself...my first poem was haiku like and full of wonder., at five years old. I have never stopped writing. No matter what was happening it has been my life, in a very essential, natural way.

Do you have a writing process and where do you feel most inspired to write? 

My best writing is born in what I call "muse time". when I am free and have a fresh spontaneous mind, just upon waking in the night, early morning, before sunrise.

I also write in motion, while I walk -  and I walk a lot - all during the day; and while I travel. I have traveled to math conferences all over the world with my husband who was an invited speaker. I have gone to math conferences and attended hundreds of lectures and written poetry during them too. My husband and I wrote a long haiku dialogue as our first romantic activity at the beginning of our relationship.

Our marriage was a two hour poetic and musical event we created. The five minute haiku-like encore  was the wedding. Its still going on, most people know he plays international flutes at every reading i do and as a finale to all our meetings. He writes and publishes haiku and tanka too, when needed and is a great listener as well as speaker.

What haiku writers have influenced your own writing?

All the writers in translation from the Japanese have inspired and excited my imagination.

When did you start teaching and judging haiku writing?   When did you take on this role? 

I dont think I am teaching or judging haiku (or tanka). I think we all learn best by association,. Being together and sharing, we find our own voices. I have gathered poets together for about 20 years. At our home, and on shared adventures, reading and writing together.. We, absorb, and find our own voices. We all grow quickly and with variety,  like wildflowers in such nourishing profusion,  just being together, watching, and listening. As I explained, my childhood was poetically nourished in this way, so it is natural for me.

What advice would you give to someone new to haiku? 

Look for haiku moments. Be sensitive to the small things that jump out in front of you! Collect those unforgettable revelations. And put them in a few words.

They tell you the story of your life!

Do you have any favourite haiku of yours that you'd like to share?

also

You are also the president of the Tanka Society of America. When did you start writing tanka and do you favour this form over haiku? 

I love both haiku and tanka "moments"  and I feel them quite differently. Each instills and asks for a different kind of answer. 

In haiku I step inside a silent unfolding.

With  tanka I step forward and sing.

I began to write tanka as a form after Mariko Kitakibo came from Japan and performed at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. She was musical and songful. I felt it even without understanding her Japanese. She played a singing bowl. I saw her like a mother rocking a baby. The lyrical rhythms felt natural to me.

That was the beginning,  maybe 15 years ago? Then we  became friends. We still write together. And she and Deborah P Kolodji discovered Tan-Ku, where the two forms come together!  (See her journal Kizuna. (It means bond  in Japanese)

 Debbie was a great encouragement to haiku poets, including me. She loved this haiku of mine 

globe street lamps

only one of them

is the moon

That came from a clear haiku moment on the street where I live. We don't need to go far, just open our eyes, for poetry to find us.

My very first poem, written at age five , (I can still see it in my mind,  on a yellow page in my own printing):

oh the moon

oh the stars

oh the sun

(I continued to write, varying the 3 lines in different orders... my husband says it's combinatorial. And I think it may hint at my love for cherita! See ai li's journal  " the cherita" )

What advice would you give a haiku writer wanting to explore tanka writing?

also

Please give an example of some of your favourite tanka you've written.

Explore is the right word. 

Be open, and listen to the call.. it's a "little song" that's what tanka is. 

We all have our own music.

In this case you can dance with words. An improvisatory dance. You can sigh in a tanka and even shout. There is kyoka, a variation where you might  snap your fingers or stamp. You can use metaphor. So I would say relax and see what happens with more floor space or sky, if you are flying!

Speaking of flying, this was a tanka i wrote after my husband had a terrible pedestrian accident,  in a green light crosswalk about 10 years ago. Our lawyer had me read it at a trial in a courtroom :

twenty feet in the air

first time I flew he says

weeks by his side

while they repaired his wings

my resilient husband

It is published in the Australian tanka journal, Eucalypt 21, 2016

When I was elected President of Tanka Society of America in 2025,  I started writing my president's message in each Ribbons. I ended the first with this tanka

how we share

make a chorus of our lives

short songs

mix and match in virtual air

infuse our world with wonder

Ribbons, Spring /Summer 2025:volume 21, Number 1

Copyright : Shadow Pond Journal