Tag Archives: poetry

new e-book (free download)!

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yes, hedgerow is still on spring break… but in the meantime, you can download & enjoy the first e-book published by wildflower poetry press for free! see details below.

happy spring everyone!

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‘Ancient Bloodlines’ by Simon Hanson & Ron C. Moss

a collection of 11 Australian collaborative rengay paired with artwork by Ron C. Moss. Each rengay is presented in the newly developed ‘Mossy Ripple Effect’ to optimise the reading experience.

to enjoy, simply click on the link below!

Ancient_Bloodlines

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‘Ancient Bloodlines’ is offered as a free download for personal use only, all material copyrighted. while the download of this e-book is free, a link to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) has been added below, where you can make a donation, at your own wish.

http://www.australianwildlife.org/support-awc/donate.aspx

 

 

* the ‘Mossy Ripple Effect’ was developed by Ron C. Moss

 

#78

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welcome to #78 of hedgerow. this week features artwork by Paula Dawn Lietz. as always, grateful to contributors & readers alike…enjoy!

 

with love & kindness,

 

caroline skanne
founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

unread books
are piling up
beside the bed
dunnocks carry twigs
nesting under the hedge

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making supper
my heart sitting
on that hill
writing poems
above Quaker bones

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I am trying
to learn to live with pain
the way I live with slugs
not running over them
but taking another path

After decades of living in the States and Canada, Joy McCall now lives in her birthplace of Norwich, England, growing older but not much wiser.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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dawn chorus
call
and response
and response
and response

Patti Niehoff (Cincinnati, Ohio USA) lives in southwestern Ohio with her husband and cats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

blackbird
choosing
which apple
to peck

Christina Martin has been writing poetry since as far back as she can remember. She lives in West Wales in the UK where she takes much of her inspiration from the sea and her natural surroundings. She also paints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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fairy princess
a missing tooth smile
as bright as her tiara

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tabernacle lamp
the warm red glow
of sunset

Simon Hanson lives in Queensland Australia, grateful for another day . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wind chimes-
the rocking chair
starts without me

Steve Smolak lives in Herrin, IL, Usa. He reads, writes, and studies haiku daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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chiffon strap
the immodesty
of moonlight

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gas flare
the midnight sea
awash in light

Dave Read is a Canadian poet.  His work can be found on his blog, davereadpoetry.blogspot.ca.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

paper boats
sailing through a puddle
in the refugee camp

Chen-ou Liu is currently the editor and translator of NeverEnding Story, http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.ca/, and the author of five books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (First Prize, 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest) and A Life in Transition and Translation (Honorable Mention, 2014 Turtle Light Press Biennial Haiku Chapbook Competition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the art is this issue was brought to you by Paula Dawn Lietz —

Paula Dawn Lietz is as well a multi-genre artist and photographer specializing in digital media. Lietz has garnered an impressive range of credits working with various publishers and authors, and revels in the creative energy generated within the artistic and literary community…

more at —

http://www.pdlietzphotography.com

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/picmoi

http://twitter.com/Paula_d_Lietz

#71

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welcome to #71 of hedgerow. thanks everyone for making this a beautiful place. the art in this issue was brought to you by Anita Virgil (please find her bio at the end of this issue). enjoy!

with love & kindness,

caroline skanne
founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

a heated debate
each calls the other
the other

Ian Willey is a sociolinguist and English teacher from Ohio now living in rural Japan with his wife and three children. He believes that senryu have great potential not only as an art form but also for political and cultural satire, and hopes to see their popularity spread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

no sound to this...jpg

haiku:   anita virgil
photo:  chad gurchinoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

my train of thought
interrupted by the news –
two ideologies
coming down the track
in opposite directions

.

seeking shelter
in a cold, bare room
he curls up
on the wooden floor –
blue moon in the window

.

he wants to know
what’s on my bucket list –
suddenly
this desire to eat an apple
from the inside out

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

spring afternoon. LIVE.jpg

haiku & art: anita virgil
haiku first published in roadrunner  issue V3

 

 

 

 

 

 

her tiger lilies
blooming
in the back garden …
she shifts a card
in her game of solitaire

Anne Curran is a Japanese verse forms poet who lives in Hamilton with her cat Misty. She loves to write and to be happy doing creative things. She has lived many lives but thinks that to be a small time poet is her most magical pastime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

summer day....jpg

haiku: anita virgil
photo: jennifer v. gurchinoff

haiku first published in world haiku review;
reprinted as a haiga for haigaonline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rumours of War

Down the back of my throat trickle sorrows.
They are not mine: martyr-dust –
pollen in the arms of the wind.

In sleep I burn on sun like a golden plate;
men have dead-branch arms; minds burst
showering red confetti.

Anchor-like, axe blade reflects the waves;
orange beacons and grey waves,
– the blood of the sea.

Ruth Asch is a poet by night, mother of four and sometimes teacher by day. She published a book of poems Reflections in 2009 (St Austin Press, available at amazon). She loves to translate foreign language poems into real poetry in English and hopes to bring out another book of her own in the not-too-distant future. Originally from London (UK) she is now living and working in Spain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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tanka first appeared in MET v2n1, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tobacco stained
and scarred —
why would you let
these calloused hands
caress you

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as if I wasn’t
here at all
the cold
spring wind
cuts through me

.

moaning the blues —
in time
each blossom must fall

Paul Smith is a poet from Worcester in the UK. Alongside poetry Paul enjoys Japanese style ink painting, building cigar box guitars and playing old time blues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh tell me that again....jpg

ekphrastic poem: anita virgil
photo: chad gurchinoff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the art in this issue was brought to you by Anita Virgil —

Anita Virgil, USA, was introduced to haiku by William J. Higginson in 1969 and was a member of the original three-person Committee on Definitions for H.S.A. with Harold G. Henderson. President H.S.A.1973. Several collections have been published since 1974. Two new ones appeared in October 2015 and the latest, in February 2016. Essays, haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun, haiga, many podcasts for Haiku Chronicles and interviews of her are online.

 

 

 

#70

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welcome to this week’s issue of hedgerow. thanks to contributors & readers alike, you make this a beautiful place.

thrilled to announce the latest title to be published shortly by wildflower poetry press — BETWEEN HERE AND HOME A LIFETIME by Mike Keville. you can reserve your copy NOW by sending an email to wildflowerpoetrypress@gmail.com. as always 10% of any profit will go to a wildlife rescue.

BookCoverPreview mike keville. front crop

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

with love & kindness,

caroline skanne
founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

downsizing a boxful of bonsai pots

.

march sun
a small box
of raisins

Meik Blöttenberger was born in Baltimore to German immigrant parents. He is currently living in Hanover, Pennsylvania and in a decade will be retiring to the high desert of Arizona. His other passions are photography and traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

moonlit path;
my fingers catch on
a cobweb

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a stray ticket
found in my coat;
museum trip

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Darling Harbour lights;
the fire eaters’
convention

Tanvi Velankar is a teacher who lives in Sydney, Australia. She has been writing haiku and senryu for three months now and draws inspiration from her travels, the nature in her local area, and everyday objects and experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Friday the 13th
the cats’ triangle formation
at my door

Francis “Wes” Alexander is a prolific writer who submits his manuscripts while listening to T-Bones Prime Cuts on Saturday nights. His stories and poems have appeared in numerous publications, including the most recent edition of Scifaikuest where he is the Featured Poet. His cats are pleased to be mentioned in the current ku.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mike Keville from London AKA Mikeymike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a moment of silence
for the piano
I never learned to play

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 @ Facebook.com/ElizabethAlfordPoetry

 

 

 

 

 

 

antique saddle
in hay and shadows
barn swallows

Anna Cates is an award-winning short form poet and writer who lives in Ohio with her two cats and teaches English and education online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

spring equinox
a sparrow dips its foot
in our new birdbath

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moss blanket
comfort of knowing
nature embraces us all

Christina Sng is a poet, writer, and artist. Visit her online at christinasng.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#69

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welcome to #69 of hedgerow. as always, grateful to contributors & readers alike! the art in this issue was brought to you by Debbie Strange. read more about her here (https://hedgerowpoems.wordpress.com/poet-artist-in-conversation/). thank you & enjoy!

 

if you missed this last week–

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 the guidelines here —

 

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

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

 

with love & kindness,

caroline skanne

founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

crack by crack
the sound of spring
on the pond

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somersault
not the words
I was expecting

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first thaw
a single shoot bathes
in sunlight

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ides of March
celebrating the return
of buzzards
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midday drift more and more of me slows the river

Julie Warther (@JulieWarther) serves as Midwest Regional Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

thelengthofmyshadow
thelengthofmyfathersshadow
spring day

Emmanuel Jessie Kalusian is a young haiku writer from Nigeria. He is the co-founder of Africa Haiku Network.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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these poems by Debbie Strange previously appeared in The Bamboo Hut Press in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In memory of my first husband

chill drives
away the lingering birds
his body
so shockingly shrunken,
my prince of lost dreams

 

blackbird
already in flight
the worst part
is not being able to say
words he’ll now never hear

 

love letters
fading in the chest
tomorrow
the flag will fold over
memories of ‘Nam’

 

cradle moon
fading near daybreak
i wonder
if he rode it last night
for one last farewell

 

he slides
through a slice in time
a soft touch
halts tears, shows me hope
in the afterglow of absence

Pris Campbell, of West Palm Beach, FL, U.S. , writes both short forms and free verse.  Both have been published widely.  A former Clinical Psychologist and avid sailer, she was sidelined by ME/CFS in 1990 and now leads a far quieter life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

dormant buds
on the fingertips of branches
the moment of hope
before I leave
darkness behind

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spring cherry branches the promise of pink

Kat Lehmann (Connecticut, USA) is a poet and a scientist who enjoys exploring the grandiose captured within the minute. Her full length poetry book, Moon Full of Moons (2015), describes the personal transformation of finding happiness after sadness. Visit her on twitter (@SongsOfKat).

 

 

 

 

 

 

the faintest hint
of a breeze
among the blossoms —
that’s how I imagine
your lips against my skin

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I’ll hold you
in my heart
if not
in my arms —
spring moon

Paul Smith is a poet from Worcester in the UK. Alongside poetry Paul enjoys Japanese style ink painting, building cigar box guitars and playing old time blues.

 

 

 

#63

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welcome to a new issue of hedgerow! thrilled to announce that ‘Manic Dawn’ by Carole Johnston is now available from amazon (please find link below). you can visit wildflower poetry press (link also below) for further details about our titles. thank you for your support! the art in this week’s issue comes from the editor’s archive… enjoy & thanks everyone for making this a beautiful place.

 

with love & kindness.

 

caroline skanne

founding editor

 

 

https://wildflowerpoetrypress.wordpress.com

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1518731309

 

 

new. cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

love’s sweet song
plays over and over
as I slip
into the ocean
of her eyes

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I’ve laughed
& loved
& died
a thousand times…
snowdrop breeze

Paul Smith is a poet from Worcester in the UK. Alongside poetry Paul enjoys Japanese style ink painting, building cigar box guitars and playing old time blues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_0764

 

 

 

 

 

 

a tight line
of ten birds undulating
the twilight—
i have no name
for what I feel for you

Shrikaanth Krishnamurthy is a psychiatrist from Bengaluru India, living in England. A trained vocalist and a composer in Indian Classical Music, he writes in several languages. His haiku, tanka, Haibun and haiga have been published in reputed journals and anthologies and won prizes. He is the proofreader for journals Cattails and Skylark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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listen…
flowers speaking
to hearts

Ed Bremson lives in Raleigh, NC, USA, where he writes poetry, watches movies, and celebrates Happy Hour daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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last farewell
the train whistle cuts through
our silence

Chen-ou Liu is currently the editor and translator of NeverEnding Story,http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.ca/, and the author of five books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (First Prize, 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest) and A Life in Transition and Translation (Honorable Mention, 2014 Turtle Light Press Biennial Haiku Chapbook Competition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

scan results
his arms cradle
my fears

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!

 

 

#62

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welcome to #62 of hedgerow! this week features ‘audio haiga’ by Sandi Pray, alongside work by five different poets. thank you for stopping by!

 

with love & kindness.

 

caroline skanne

founding editor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

her dream-catcher gift
in the glass cabinet so
it won’t get dusty

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solitude —
you count every window
in the fresco

John Martone, poetry projects at: http://www.scribd.com/john-martone-2968
www.johnmartone.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

climate change
at the mouth of the bay
hammerheads

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winter moon
concrete lions guard
the driveway

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inlet fog the chaos of crows

Meik Blöttenberger was born in Baltimore to German immigrant parents. He is currently living in Hanover, Pennsylvania and in a decade will be retiring to the high desert of Arizona. His other passions are photography and traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sitting at her desk
in grey polo and jeans …
heady days
of intellectualism
and unfettered youth

Anne Curran is a Hamiltonian. She has been writing haiku for about three years now. She has enjoyed some fantastic mentoring along the way, and remains in admiration of many haiku poets, in particular New Zealand poets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

lunar eclipse the shadow of our former selves

Matthew Moffett lives in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, with his wife and two kids. He thanks you for reading his poems!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pills on the floor …
the bed still holds the shape
of her body

Chen-ou Liu is currently the editor and translator of NeverEnding Story, http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.ca/, and the author of five books, including Following the Moon to the Maple Land (First Prize, 2011 Haiku Pix Chapbook Contest) and A Life in Transition and Translation (Honorable Mention, 2014 Turtle Light Press Biennial Haiku Chapbook Competition)

 

 

 

 

 

 

the audio haiga in this issue was brought to you by Sandi Pray —

a wild child who roams between mountain and marsh in North Carolina and Florida,http://ravencliffs.blogspot.com.