Daily Verse
Week 1, October 2024
Neighbourhood Revisited
bySonia Nicholson 2nd Oct 2024
old Margaret, wild white hair
flying as a veil as a flag
of another time
/different or better/
behind her red walker
pushes on after-noon
the street pushing daisies pushing almost
Spring outside her bungalow (stucco)
1930s beauty
hidden behind the roses
and around the corner
the doddery man still plants
gnarled and stooped
against February
a row of daffodils
tulips alternating yellow and red
in his neat flower bed
a bloom for every season
a memory
tossed like seeds
(the flower bed, the bungalow
dug up now
all traces of red
under glass)
Poems on Nostalgia
by Maurizio Brancaleoni 3rd October 2024
voices of yore —
their warm clarity
effulgent gold
moon in the daytime —
everything returns
yet different from before
rainy night —
the tic of the clock
digs a furrow
Waning Summer
By Dan Hardison 4th October 2024
Shadows stretch longer
slanting across the landscape
as days grow shorter.
The evening sun
flaming in amazement
as it drops on the horizon.
Mornings awake
from longer nights
to a fine veil of pearly mist.
Garden blooms are fewer
as cornstalks and gourds
join rust-colored wreaths.
Nuts and burnished leaves
are covering the ground
as the air turns cooler.
A dazzling display
of elemental colors
as autumn beckons.
Haiku on Nostalgia
By Marguerite Doyle 8th October 2024
flicking through
old photographs
home movie
christening lace
on the baby
her wedding dress
dewdrops
on white lilies
anniversary
Late summer Storm
By Belinda Behne 7th October 2024
Thunder cracks
The sky opens
We dance barefoot
thru the wet grass
Laughing
Pelted with rain
Our open mouths
become fountains
Mother whistles
Calling us in
with just two fingers
between her lips
Loud and shrill
We don’t want to hear her
but we do
And we come
Tracking mud and rain
into her kitchen
We are soaking wet
and thrilled to the bone
Still laughing, giggling, sliding
across the slippery wet floor
With mud squishing between our toes
we are electrified
Transformed
by the storm
Biographies of Poets
A native of Tennessee, Dan Hardison now lives in Wilmington, North Carolina where he is a writer and artist. His artwork is inspired by Japanese woodblocks and ink painting (sumi-e). As an artist and writer, he is drawn to the Japanese haiga – a combination of image and poem. Dan Hardison’s writing has appeared at The Wise Owl, The Ravens Perch, Frogpond, Cattails, Contemporary Haibun Online, Chrysanthemum, and other print and online journals. His self-published book Quietude is available from Lulu Press. His work can also be found at his website Windscape Studio and blog Some Tomorrow’s Morning.
Belinda Behne grew up in the midwest, but she has spent most of her adult life in the vibrant culture of New York City. Her first career, as a teacher of special education, led her to the love of art, literature and theatre. She has pursued her passions of acting, writing poetry and performing professional voice-overs for more than three decades. She currently lives on the edge of a salt marsh, where life continues to inspire her in new ways. Her poems can be found in LEAF Journal, The Wise Owl, Scarlet Dragonfy and Cold Moon Journal.
Week 2, October 2024
Footsteps...
by Ketaki Mazumdar 9th Oct 2024
in a constant wandering
I flow with the clouds
in moments of realisation
am the lotus
in the moonlight
at your feet
am the peacock that dances
with the sound of the rain
and the strains of the Dark One's flute
I return to You over and over again
I burn in an ecstasy
waiting for that unity
we shared every lifetime
in my soul's journey
Poems
by Robert Witmer 10th October 2024
dew on her grave
the many eyes
of the sun
rosebush
a raindrop
on every thorn
the old pier groans
so many come and go
syllables of salt
A Mom's Note on the Counter
By Biswajit Mishra 11th Oct 2024
“Good morning little one,
Happy birthday,
live long, and
always be happy.
Your breakfast is on the kitchen table,
eat all, don’t leave anything,
your lunch box is in your backpack.
Dress properly, don’t forget the jacket,
wear your cap too, it’s getting cold,
ask Nani or wake up Papa if you need help.
Remember to eat the ginger juice with honey
in the little stainless steel bowl
on the counter,
your throat doesn’t sound good.
Go carefully my dear,
I will see you after I am back,
we will have your birthday special in the evening.
Be a good boy, love,
and stay blessed, always,
my treasure.
Mama”
The sun woke up.
Haiku on Nostalgia
By Marguerite Doyle 8th October 2024
flicking through
old photographs
home movie
christening lace
on the baby
her wedding dress
dewdrops
on white lilies
anniversary
Late summer Storm
By Belinda Behne 7th October 2024
I woke up to
The call of ravens
Nested outside
My window, their haven.
Half-awake and
Half in a dream
I searched the dark
To find a gleam.
Doubts arose in
My mind; is it yet
The dawn or night
Undone still? I fret.
Ravens caused a ruckus
Still, in the mid of
Night, it seemed,
Driving slumber off.
I shut the windows
Drew the blinds
Wishing upon wish
For sleep in my mind.
I counted stars
And counted sheep
Yet, I could not find
The precious lost sleep.
I read books of
Fiction and history
Still, sleep was an
Alluring mystery.
A brew of herbs didn’t
Lure sleep in
I lamented – is this
‘Cause of unknown sin?
Sleep hid away
Like a playful sprite
Despite what I did
Which seemed so trite.
‘T was nothing but a
Recap of nights, so far.
A rooster crowed somewhere
As dawn effaced the stars.
I moaned over
My fate so glum
and sleepless nights
Yet to come.
Biographies of Poets
Biswajit Mishra writes poems and occasionally flash fiction. He also writes sporadically in his native language Odia. Born in India and having lived in Kenya, Biswajit and his wife Bharati live in Calgary, Canada.
Belinda Behne grew up in the midwest, but she has spent most of her adult life in the vibrant culture of New York City. Her first career, as a teacher of special education, led her to the love of art, literature and theatre. She has pursued her passions of acting, writing poetry and performing professional voice-overs for more than three decades. She currently lives on the edge of a salt marsh, where life continues to inspire her in new ways. Her poems can be found in LEAF Journal, The Wise Owl, Scarlet Dragonfy and Cold Moon Journal.
Week 3, October 2024
Fathers
Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca 14th October 2024
My father and my spouse’s father
Shared coincidences in stories we now tell about them
Both rose early in the Bombay mornings,
His father woke up at 5am, tiptoed zigzag around the sleeping children
Had a shower, tea, contemplated the mango tree outside
Then immaculately groomed, he spoke no words
Left without breakfast, on the motorcycle
Parked at the bottom of the apartment building.
My father woke up early too
Dressed neatly, drank tea he made himself
“Seize the Day,” he said, his only words
And walked briskly to catch the 8:15 train.
He left the house without breakfast too.
In stories we remember both fathers
as we drink our chai on the patio outside.
I had never met my spouse’s father
He had met mine many times.
Poet's Note: My spouse and I often tell stories about our families. Many of my poems are written about both families, in order to to preserve our legacies and our memories. The poem “Fathers” is inspired by Robert Hayden's poem "Those Winter Sundays." Both my father and my spouse’s father were creatures of habit. Each had a distinctive personality but there were some striking similarities as well.
Poems on Nostalgia
by Tuyet van do 15th October 2024
first spring walk
an empty swing
in the park
faded photo
on the mantelpiece
sound of wind howling
afternoon stroll
an elderly couple
holding hands
When Memories Refuse to Fade
By Sarojkanta Dash, 16th October, 2024
Dear Mukesh, every time I hear a song
We enjoyed on the radio long ago
I'm lost, deeply saddened, my heart racing
Against the wall of memories, washed clean with tears
The picture remains vivid, refusing to fade
You had no voice, yet sang to the tabla's beat
I had a voice, but never learned the rhythm's sway
That was me, and you knew it, in your own way
In your absence, life's rhythm is now a discord
I never wrote a good hand, yours was harder to read
But now, I cherish the letters you wrote from afar
The scribbles that once hurt my eyes are now softened with love
I wonder, were you born to be a rebel, wild and free?
Yet, you lacked the refinement of spirit, rough and carefree
You strayed too far, never to return, leaving me
To ponder, and remember, and yearn.
Micro Poems
By Belinda Behna 17th October 2024
a child’s glazed eyes
sweets behind glass
just out of reach
one small coin
clutched in her fist
is it enough
a host of swallows
swirl beneath storm clouds
frenzied last supper
planted pink
my poppy blooms
bright red
a mind of her own
I am in your new house
that is yet to fully become a home
and the word sliver comes to mind.
Sliver as in
a life like glass
smashed into slivers.
Sliver as in
slivers of glass
painfully embedded in the skin
Sliver as in
slivers of glass
that shine with light and hope
not from outside but within.
Biographies of Poets
Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca has been a teacher of English, French and Spanish in educational institutions in India and internationally. Her poems have been published in various journals and anthologies, including the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English and The Journal of Indian Poetry in English by Sahitya Akademi. ‘Family Sunday and other Poems’ was published in 1989 and a chapbook ‘Light of the Sabbath’ in September 2021. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her poem “How to Light Up a Poem” in 2020.
Tuyet Van Do lives in Australia. She loves poetry and writes whenever inspiration strikes. Her work has appeared in various publications both online and in print. She was nominated for the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems in 2022.
Dr. Sarojkanta Dash is a bilingual writer and scholar from Odisha, India. He is a pioneering figure in Odia literary criticism, with a focus on formalism and close reading. His published works include the Odia short story collection "Anuragara Basna" (2010) and "Scarred Memories: Reconstruction of Experience in Partition Narratives" (2015), a seminal work in trauma studies. His poems have been featured in international anthologies. With proficiency in English and Odia, Dr. Dash continues to make valuable contributions to literature, solidifying his position as a trailblazing figure in Odia literary criticism.
Ronita Chattopadhyay (she/her) finds refuge in words. She also makes a living out of it while supporting not for profit organisations in India. Her poems have appeared in The Hooghly Review, Roi Fainéant Press, Akéwì Magazine, Setu, Rogue Agent Journal, RIC Journal, among others, and anthologies by Querencia Press (Winter Anthology 2024) and Sídhe Press (To Light The Trails. Poems by Women In a Violent World). She lives in West Bengal, India.
Belinda Behne grew up in the midwest, but she has spent most of her adult life in the vibrant culture of New York City. Her first career, as a teacher of special education, led her to the love of art, literature and theatre. She has pursued her passions of acting, writing poetry and performing professional voice-overs for more than three decades. She currently lives on the edge of a salt marsh, where life continues to inspire her in new ways. Her poems can be found in LEAF Journal, The Wise Owl, Scarlet Dragonfy and Cold Moon Journal.
Week 4, October 2024
Insomnia
Nisha Nair 21st October 2024
I woke up to
The call of ravens
Nested outside
My window, their haven.
Half-awake and
Half in a dream
I searched the dark
To find a gleam.
Doubts arose in
My mind; is it yet
The dawn or night
Undone still? I fret.
Ravens caused a ruckus
Still, in the mid of
Night, it seemed,
Driving slumber off.
I shut the windows
Drew the blinds
Wishing upon wish
For sleep in my mind.
I counted stars
And counted sheep
Yet, I could not find
The precious lost sleep.
I read books of
Fiction and history
Still, sleep was an
Alluring mystery.
A brew of herbs didn’t
Lure sleep in
I lamented – is this
‘Cause of unknown sin?
Sleep hid away
Like a playful sprite
Despite what I did
Which seemed so trite.
‘T was nothing but a
Recap of nights, so far.
A rooster crowed somewhere
As dawn effaced the stars.
I moaned over
My fate so glum
and sleepless nights
Yet to come.
Poet's Note: My spouse and I often tell stories about our families. Many of my poems are written about both families, in order to to preserve our legacies and our memories. The poem “Fathers” is inspired by Robert Hayden's poem "Those Winter Sundays." Both my father and my spouse’s father were creatures of habit. Each had a distinctive personality but there were some striking similarities as well.
Senryu
by David Cox 22nd October 2024
weight
of the day…
one yen coin
unwrapping the
envelope so carefully -
nigiri roll
undoing every
word of the poem…
babies and bath water
Micro Poems
By Jerome Berglund, 23rd October, 2024
a face
in the empty
space
where the trees
don't touch
they switched
the bulbs
but balanced
color temperature
we didn't notice
witness
a prang —
the lightning
these days seems
less forgiving
Poems
By Kevin Cowdall 24th October 2024
Bamboo Flute
A single high note,
piercing the afternoon air.
Then all is silent.
Old Window
Grubby old window
letting in a little light
and a lot of draught.
Sunflowers
Standing in a row,
they all raise their heads as one,
a silent fanfare.
Nightingale’s Song
A nightingale sings –
a song to gladden the heart
and lift the spirit.
Poems on Nostalgia
baby birds
tasting the tips
of the tiniest twigs
honeybee
the flower's lover
fluffs her golden hair
sparkles
in the stargazer's eyes
a puppet's smile
Biographies of Poets
David Cox teaches secondary English in international schools and has most recently been in Beijing. He has been very involved with the Japanese short form since 2020 but has written poetry since he was 17.
Jerome Berglund has worked as everything from dishwasher to paralegal, night watchman to assembler of heart valves. Many haiku, haiga and haibun he’s written have been exhibited or are forthcoming online and in print, most recently in bottle rockets, Frogpond, and Modern Haiku. His first full-length collections of poetry Bathtub Poems and Funny Pages were just released by Setu and Meat For Tea press, and a mixed media chapbook showcasing his fine art photography is available now from Yavanika.
Kevin Cowdall's poems have been published in journals, magazines, and anthologies, and on web sites, across the globe and broadcast on BBC Radio, RTÉ Radio, Ireland, and local radio stations across the UK. His 2016 retrospective collection, Assorted Bric-à-brac brought together the best from three previous collections (The Reflective Image, Monochrome Leaves, and A Walk in the Park) with a selection of newer poems). His most recent collection, Natural Inclinations, features fifty poems with a common theme of the natural world.
Robert Witmer has resided in Japan for the past 45 years. Now an emeritus professor, he has had the opportunity to teach courses in poetry and creative writing not only at his home university in Tokyo but also in India. His poems and prose poetry have appeared in many print and online journals and books. His first book of poetry, a collection of haiku titled Finding a Way, was published in 2016. A second book of poetry, titled Serendipity, was published earlier this year (2023). An author’s page for Robert Witmer can be found at both the Poets & Writers and AuthorsDen websites.
Poems on Nostalgia
Fatma Zohra Habis 28th October 2024
Jasmine blooms
so without introduction
thoughts unfold
I feel a warm touch
from mother nature
secrets of darkness
the night wears its cloak
time passes slowly
memories of longing accumulate
deep is this sky
morning fog
on the mountain road ...
I search for him
on dim pathways
with my heart's own light
Poems on Nostalgia
by Al Gallia 29th October 2024
attic rummaging…
inside a cobwebbed chest
dad’s navy cap
alpine lake
on the granite boulder
our fading initials
abandoned house
in the overgrown yard
a rusting tricycle
Poems on Nostalgia
By Maurizio Brancaleoni, 30th October, 2024
though encircled
its wrinkles untouched by rain —
armchair
autumn morning —
those checkout girls
gleam less brightly
the flickering of a floodlight —
autumn semitones
Poems
By Kavita Ratna 31st October 2024
leaves scrunch
with every step...
thoughts quieten
a mynah bobs
on the tip of a branch...
Hamlet moment
August showers
dawn pats dry
the tears
bookcase...
an abhaya mudra
raises above the words
Poems on Nostalgia
baby birds
tasting the tips
of the tiniest twigs
honeybee
the flower's lover
fluffs her golden hair
sparkles
in the stargazer's eyes
a puppet's smile
Biographies of Poets
Fatma Zohra Habis live in Algeria. She loves poetry and Japanese culture. Her specialty is physics. Several haiku and tanka poems have been published in prestigious journals around the world, such as The Enchanted Garden and The Sacred Dragonfly THE Daily fondation The LEAF journal etc.