deepening

my faith

storm’s end

*Published in the April 2020 issue of Cattails

dieting

is overrated -

strawberry cupcake

*Published via the Poetry Pea podcast (Series 3, Episode 8: Afternoon Break)

lukewarm rooibos

more news

about COVID

*Published in The Asahi Shimbun (Asahi Haikuist Network) on 4/17/20

I press

my brush to paper

a streak

of dark red paint

says what I cannot

*Published in Chrysanthemum 27 along with a German translation

the scent

of honeysuckle

last night’s dream

*

a twinkling

of stars

the muse returns

*Published in the 2020 issue of Under the Basho (Modern Haiku section)

silent film

clouds move across

my thoughts

*

an Oscar

worthy performance

dying rose

*

brighter days

the chickadee’s call

awakens me

*

spring

your gentle

encouragement

*

all my luggage

packed

road to freedom

*Published in the spring 2020 edition of The Bamboo Hut

contagion

your truth

becomes our lie

*

like any other Tuesday mass shooting

*

your rape a number nothing is holy

*

trending

during the pandemic

#ThingsYouSayWhenYouCum

*

whitewashed the earth continues to bleed

*

the news behind the news our last shards of dignity

*

witch trial

no one ever

believes a prophet

*

kids in cages they say hell doesn’t exist

*

history repeating what bullets never solved

*

clinging to faith night still unfolds

*

hope in darkness a hymn I used to know

*

doomsday

you still act

surprised

*

wherever peace is no crosses burn

*

blackened sky our new normal is death

*

bombs over Aleppo

press that like button

and subscribe

*Published in my second e-chapbook: filth (Proletaria 2020)

pi

making sense

of this life

*Published by Harusame on 4/4/20

dear humans

i beg you

i beg you

i beg you

do not

under any circumstance

forget

your humanity

*Published by Dayton Artist Stream on 4/3/20

change of season, still a night owl

*Published by The Asahi Shimbun (Asahi Haikuist Network) on 4/3/20

When the Earth Stood Still

In regards to this pandemic, I have no idea what the future may hold. However, I do, at least, know this for certain: tonight’s sunset, once again, temporarily righted my soul.

broken

time slips through

my breath

*Published in Issue #52 of Failed Haiku

sunrise pulling out the glass in my bones

*

fist of wind I have lived in stranger homes

*

moonrise

some tears

just are

*Published by Heliosparrow on 3/31/20

how quickly normalcy        day moon

                    slips

*Published by Heliosparrow on 3/26/20

opera...

all the birds

in the neighborhood

*Published in the March 2020 issue of Stardust Haiku

abyss your sorry in A-flat

*

upon closer look each lightning bolt an aria

*

stronger now the pull of red’s moon

*Published in the 2020 issue of Under the Basho (One-Line Haiku section)

Anna Pavlova

and suddenly

her arms became wings

not like the dainty ones

given to a finch

but the luxurious ones

bestowed to a swan

she was born a human

yes I know

but that word

is simply ill-fitting

for her veins

must be charged

with the breath of angels

or the melodies

that drift between

each burning star

because I can

easily assure you

she was never

fully of this earth

*Published by Dear Reader on 3/25/20

the hope

of distant moons

warm rain

*Published by Fresh Out: An Arts and Poetry Collective on 3/23/20

yin and yang

the fire

in me

will always need

the rain

in you

*Published by Dayton Artist Stream on 3/19/20

when life breaks

let art be a prayer
cast out into the moonless light

*

delicacies 

i do not read poems
rather
i breathe them in

slowly
slowly
slowly
savoring each word
like the nectar
of a sun-kissed primrose

*

soldiers

how i admire
the ones who
happily choose
to wake early

they have
more fortitude
than i
to resist a dream

*

death poem

let’s imagine
for a second
that there is
no such thing
as death
and that when
my heart and brain
finally rest
i have simply decided
to trade
my pen and paper
for cloud and sky

*Published by Fireflies’ Light: A Magazine of Short Poems #18

a secret

each tree 

waits for you

to look at it

with love

and say hello

my dear friend

*

can you imagine

what if

every sentence we spoke

was a melody

what if

every conversation we had

was a symphony 

*

just a thought

he asked

why watch sunsets

when you see one

each night

i said

why wouldn’t you

when no two

have ever been alike

*

you brave soul, you

sometimes

the most courageous thing

you can do

is to share your heart

with a world

all too eager

to tear it apart 

*Published in Fireflies’ Light: A Magazine of Short Poems #18

the art

of imperfection

drizzled caramel

*Published via the Poetry Pea podcast (Series 3, Episode 6: Recipes)

twilight. Every seed in his spine thirsted

*

a rifle. Cast grey from intermittent rain, this dawn

*Published in Bones 19

awaiting

the sweet scent

of April

I choose

bright colors

instead of black

*

warmer now

I leave home

without trepidation 

of the wind’s

sudden bite

against my neck

*

regardless

of winter’s savagery

flowers return

bold and lovely

I have

so much to learn

*

crabapple

magnolia 

cherry 

spring is

a reunion 

of friends

*Published in the Poets Salon (coloradoboulevard.net) on 3/11/20

a remedy

for lack of friends -

American Girl catalogue 

*Published by The Asahi Shimbun (Asahi Haikuist Network) on 3/6/20

uncle’s roaming solve for X

*

ordinary. Mother stumbled away from the fire, forgetting

*

crows on wires. “Y’only remember the bad,” he said

*Published by Weird Laburnum on 3/1/20