welcome to the latest issue of hedgerow. as always, grateful to contributors & readers alike. excited to have a new poet added to spotlight page, have a peek here –

https://hedgerowpoems.wordpress.com/poet-artist-spotlight/

also, thrilled to share the news that wildflower poetry press will be publishing a new title called ‘wild voices: an anthology of small poems & art by women’. if this is something that appeals to you, you can find submissions guidelines here —

https://wildflowerpoetrypress.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/call-for-submissions/

https://www.facebook.com/wildflowerpoetrypress/

with love & kindness,

caroline skanne
founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

too early
here anyway
woodpecker

.

those days
even washing dishes
was a dance

Perry L. Powell lives in College Park, Georgia, USA.  He works as a systems analyst and writes poetry out of love in the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

leftovers again—
dinnertime call
from the ex-wife

.

magpie treasures—
dining hall salt shakers
fill grandma’s purse

.

mom’s lab results—
beneath the early snow
pumpkins

Carol Ann Palomba lives in the part of New Jersey where you check for bears before going outside and hikers occasionally get lost in her yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

passing a flask
of broken dreams
half empty moon

Julie Warther (@JulieWarther) serves as Midwest Regional Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America. (http://www.hsa-haiku.org)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pamela A. Babusci is an internationally award-winning haiku/tanka & haiga artist, living in Rochester, NY. She loves writing tanka/haiku poetry, haiga, sumi-e painting, abstract painting, making jewelry, pressing flowers/leaves/ferns, Japanese calligraphy and most recently making clay sculptures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

my mother’s pearls—
remnants of exotic seas
she’s never seen

.

he calls her his shooting star
she thinks, How fleeting

Elizabeth Alford is a college grad with a B.A. in English and a PhD in caffeine addiction. She lives in California, USA with her loving fiancé, mother, and two dopey dogs. Her favorite things include yerba mate, sushi, loud music on long drives, staring at the stars, and short poetry. Follow her poetry adventures @http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethAlfordPoetry

 

 

 

 

 

 

At 30,000 Feet

On snack menu:

“Buddha Bowl”

          organic popcorn,
          popped in
          raw coconut oil,
          Himalayan Pink Salt

          veggie option
          gluten free

I ponder …

if the Buddha sat
in this seat,

would he beg for a bowl?

or would Chex Mix
be his way?

Nancy Cross Dunham lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, Michael.  She writes poetry to try to figure out what she’s learning about herself, the world and the other people in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

low tide
first breath of sunset
on the gull’s wings

Mamta Madhavan‘s oeuvre includes web content writing, book reviews, interviews, articles, and poetry. Much of the latter may be found at her blog www.gravidmoon@wordpress.com and her poetry collection ‘connecting the dots’. She incorporates vivid imagery into her writings influenced by nature, mysticism and spirituality. Her style of writing is mainly free verse.

 

 

 

 

her silhouette
against the summer sun …
if only
she had the wings of a bird
so I could see her fly

Susan Constable lives on the west coast of Canada, where she’s been writing mainly haiku and tanka for the past ten years. She is currently the tanka editor for the online journal, A Hundred Gourds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

starless sky
I search for you
in vain

.

the old scarecrows
in barren fields
these dreams

Rachel Sutcliffe, from Yorkshire, UK, has suffered from a serious immune disorder for the past 15 years, throughout this time writing has been her therapy, it’s what keeps her from going insane! featured spotlight poet here –– https://hedgerowpoems.wordpress.com/poet-artist-spotlight/

 

 

 

 

 

welcome to this week’s issue of hedgerow! as always, grateful to contributors & readers alike. the art in this issue was brought to you by Alexis Rotella & Debbie Strange. you can read more about our resident artists here – https://hedgerowpoems.wordpress.com/poet-artist-in-conversation/

 

with love & kindness.

caroline skanne

founding editor

 

(for new book releases & more–)

https://wildflowerpoetrypress.wordpress.com

(for news & announcements–)

https://www.facebook.com/hedgerowpoems/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

one star enough winter darkness

.

deeper into the woods
less and less
to say

Julie Warther (@JulieWarther) serves as Midwest Regional Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America. (http://www.hsa-haiku.org)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie Strange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

after the wedding ring cold white halo

Elmedin Kadric was born in Novi Pazar, Serbia, but writes out of Helsingborg, Sweden. A student of both longer and shorter forms of poetry, and an avid observer of everything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie Strange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

knowing now
what we couldn’t know then
forsythia buds

.

sun-warmed stones
for the skink and me
early spring

Marietta McGregor is an Australian botanist and writer who has spent much of her life explaining scientific concepts. She now tries to let things explain themselves through an early love, haiku. She lives in Canberra and hopes to capture a sense of the bush, mountains and ocean in her work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie Strange

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

she
is so tiny
I hold
her red body
tighter

.

playful fingers
grasp for my nose
my chin
oh how perfect
the crescent moon

Joann Grisetti grew up in Sasebo Japan and eighteen other places. She now lives in Florida with her husband and two sons. Her poetry, photos and stories have appeared in a number of print and online journals. her latest book DARK MAROON JACKET is available from amazon. for a signed copy contact Joann directly at — gneissmom@aol.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Rotella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How well can babies see? As far as the shadows moving across the white wall. As far as the elephant mobile spinning slowly in the breeze from an open window. As far as the wasp buzzing lazily against the glass. As far as her own fingers which reach out and grasp empty air when the door downstairs slams. As far as the unseen grandmother spirits hovering around her cot. Babies see things we’ve forgotten to notice. They don’t see what is unnecessary. They see what they need to see. Movement. Faces. Love.

Jo Waterworth has lived in Glastonbury, UK for thirty years. She writes, sings with a community choir and is studying part-time for a degree in Creative Arts, including ceramics. She sometimes runs creative writing groups. Find her blogs at  https://jowaterworth23.wordpress.com/ and https://jowaterworthwriter.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Rotella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

in the words
between gaps
shade

 

in the gaps
between words
light

 

in the tapestries
of light and shade
meaning

David J Kelly (@motto_sakura) lives and works in Dublin, Ireland, where he finds scientific and artistic inspiration in the natural world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexis Rotella

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beech forest
a sharp shade
of acid green

my friend’s dog pushes me
back to the group  

—

silent walk 
only our footsteps 
and my beating heart 

along the frozen path
everything already said

—

melting ice 
some sunflower seeds sprout 
among the black leaves 

you brush a strand of hair
away from my face

—

evening sky
among ancient ruins
clematis

my daydream entangled 
in the wilderness of you 

Marcus Liljedahl and Anna Maris are Swedish haiku poets, who write in their native language and in English. Marcus works as a singer with the Gothenburg Opera and Anna is a writer and educator. They are both published individually in international haiku journals and are also engaged in the running of the Swedish Haiku Society. Together the write TanRenga and other forms of linked verse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

publication note —

the individual poems (without the art) by Debbie Strange were published in Gems in 2014.