HAIKU DIALOGUE – Under the March Moon – New Moon (1)
Under the March Moon with Guest Editor Carole MacRury
March (Martius) was named for Mars, the god of war, because this was the month when active military campaigns resumed after being interrupted by winter which was referred to as a ‘dead’ season. In fact, March was the first month of the year on the early Roman Calendar until around 450 BCE when January and February moved to the front putting March in third position where it remains in today’s Gregorian Calendar. Imagine how much easier it would be to make ‘resolutions’ in March with its visible signs of new beginnings and renewal, than in cold January. March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb. This reflects the transition from winter to spring and the changeable weather conditions particular to this month in the Northern Hemisphere. We’ll use three moon phases – Full Worm Moon, New Moon and Half Moon – to inspire our haiku. As we all write under our shared moon, feel free to use or not use the name of the moon phase in your haiku.
Below is Carole’s selection of poems on the theme of the New Moon:
IMAGE CREDIT: Burst, Nick Chung
My thanks to all who submitted haiku for the New Moon prompt. You were invited to “let the stars, the equinox and the quiet contemplation of a moonless night inspire your haiku” and you did just that. I received many poems that reflected on self, on loved ones and our place in the universe. I could feel a common thread throughout many of the poems in the way they expressed how we feel when we contemplate the vastness of space. Several poems incorporated sound into a starlit night, from a childhood lullaby to songs of the sea; from a rumbling train to sirens on the street; from a nightingale’s song to the hum of mosquitoes. Please take a few moments to choose your own favorites from this list. It was difficult to keep my long list reasonable from the 300 or so poems I received, and I encourage all whose poems are not on this list to submit them to one of our many journals. Stay tuned for commentary on 14 selected poems next week.
spring moon –
grandma cleans
the silverwareDaniela Lăcrămioara Capotă
Romania
moving to the next phase of my life new moon
Rupa Anand
New Delhi, India
moonless sky
those bright stars
in mum’s lullabySamo Kreutz
Ljubljana, Slovenia
new moon
in some universe
she never leftJohn Pappas
United States
vernal equinox –
the apricot tree
still nakedSteliana Cristina Voicu
Ploiesti, Romania
mimosa in bloom…
a thousand little moons
on the marshSilvia Bistocchi
Foligno, Italy
new moon
filling the estuary
with starsKeith Evetts
Thames Ditton UK
first crescent
the buck’s
velvet antlersCharles Harper
Yokohama
new moon
with my child
some of my childhood tooStephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
coming to understand
the dark side of my father –
New MoonHla Yin Mon
Yangon, Myanmar
new moon
a rabbit jumps out
of her picture bookKeiko Izawa
Japan
bite by bite …
nothing left behind
of the moon cakeDeborah Karl-Brandt
Bonn, Germany
to find myself
through telescopic vastness . ..
new moon darknessAlfred Booth
Lyon, France
counting stars
beneath a missing moon
we sail on diamondsPris Campbell
US
new moon I forget how old the world is
Srini S
Rishi Valley, India
starlight
on the river waters
a boatman’s songRavi Kiran
India
moonless night
yet the town hall brightened
with candles flickeringWai Mei Wong
Toronto, Canada
New moon-
the lack of something brighter
than itselfSarah Davies
UK
new moon
an extra lamp
in the templeBaisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India
new moon
God’s presence in
absenceRichard Straw
Cary, North Carolina
the train’s rumble fades
into the evening sky
new moonJohn S Green
Bellingham, Washington
I leave the lights on
for my old friend –
the new moonSari Grandstaff
Saugerties, NY, USA
north star
searching in vain
for my southern crossLouise Hopewell
Australia
dark side of the moon…
meet the dark side
of usTony Williams
Scotland, UK
moonless sky–
flashing on the street
paramedic sirensTuyet Van Do
Australia
new moon letting her have you
Susan Burch
Hagerstown, MD
a candle flutters
on the veranda table –
young moonTomislav Maretić
Zagreb, Croatia
new moon
I take a longer look
at the starsSharon Ferrante
Daytona Beach FL USA
tonight’s scrabble play
a blank tile—
new moon’s arrivalSuzanne Leaf-Brock
Ames, Iowa
new moon
I agree to stop
moonlightingPadma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
new moon
all the stories
mom never toldNeena Singh
India
still somewhere
mother’s aura
moonless nightArvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
new pink moon
finding my north star
in cherry blossomsDaya Bhat
India
star-struck
the evening star
in the morningJagajit Salam
Imphal, India
new moon
I learn to love
myselfNisha Raviprasad
India
spring petrichor
after long rain
the taste of first kissJohn Zheng
Mississippi
spring equinox
fresh mortar holding
old bricksAndrew Shimield
UK
no moon creeping the length of the icy dock
lev hart
Calgary, Canada
a wrinkled finger
next to a small one
pointing to the starsKimberly Kuchar
Austin, Texas
an owl
swoops over the snow
moonless nightRuth Holzer
Herndon, Virginia
I write and
rewrite my apology
new moonSurashree Joshi
Pune, India
moonless night
Apollo strays away
from its routeChen Xiaoou
Kunming, China
A thin slit of light —
the night begins to open
its single eyeJenny Shepherd
London, UK
at the dawn of its self-hood new moon
Vandana Parashar
India
New Moon –
I book an appointment
with my therapistAna Drobot
Romania
new moon–
the night like pages missing
from a poetry bookTeiichi Suzuki
Japan
new moon –
in the fisherman’s net
song of the seaNicole Pottier
France
new moon
dimming the lights
for the entr’acteLaurie Greer
Washington, DC
day moon—
a refugee’s story lost
in the glare of The Sun(The Sun is a right-wing British tabloid newspaper.)
Adele Evershed
Wilton, Connecticut
a glimpse of moon
after the sabbatical . . .
broken window hingeKavitha Sreeraj
India
Hidden moon
In the glow of the stars
the violets scentAmbra Quilleri
Lake Garda, Italy
equinox moon
I throw last season’s regrets
six feet deepEleanor Dean
Massachusetts, United States
relaxing jazz
I take a new moon
refresher bathTsanka Shishkova
Bulgaria
The sound of my voice
Echoing through the darkness:
No light but the starsEvan Spivack
Teaneck, NJ USA
new moon—
a ball of hopes hanging
In the skyDr. Priti Chahar
Agra, India
darker inside than out new moon night
Cynthia Anderson
Yucca Valley, California
new moon –
a twinkle of stars
in the puddleMaria Teresa Piras
Serrenti – Italy
80th year
winding the clock
for more timeCaroline Giles Banks
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
no moon tonight the owl’s fixed eyes
Kerry J Heckman
Seattle, WA
they decide to plant
oyster mushrooms
–new moonNancy Brady
Huron, Ohio, USA
new moon
she curls around
an empty wombJohn Hawkhead
UK
moon cycle planting
the kookaburra waits
for a wormwanda amos
Old Bar, Australia
new moon –
the doe nuzzles
her first fawnPatricia Nelson
Bethlehem, PA
the space between
a nightingale’s song
and the new moonAnnie Wilson
Shropshire, UK
attic window
the light through dust motes maps
new constellationsJenn Ryan-Jauregui
Tucson, Arizona USA
new moon
the balmy night hums
with mosquitoesFirdaus Parvez
India
new moon
the spring breeze
seeding peaceLori Kiefer
London UK
new moon
10,000 steps to
catch up with my youthPriti Khullar
India
apogee moon the situations that never change
Mona Bedi
Delhi, India
spring equinox
moon hides under a blanket
just like meDamon Huss
Santa Monica, CA
blank moon
the we inside of me
on a starry nightMike Stinson
Nebraska USA
new moon
the dark side
of lifeValentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
moonless night
the quickening
in her bellyCarol Judkins
Carlsbad, CA
cutting away
at the dark
sickle moonC.X.Turner
United Kingdom
waning crescent…
a slice of pie
in the milky wayMadeleine Kavanagh
United States
new moon within reach sunrise skydive
C.F. Tash
Washington, DC
new moon
eyes opening to all the ten
thousand hidden thingsJonathan English
Washington, DC
a brook murmuring
my mother tongue…
spring equinoxFlorin C. Ciobica
Romania
new moon
down the rabbit hole
counting my starsLorelyn De la Cruz Arevalo
Bombon, Philippines
new moon
without the trickster
stars shine clearlyElizabeth Shack
Illinois, USA
pushing aside
his darkness with laughter
twinkle in dad’s eyesClaire Vogel Camargo
United States
Join us next week for Carole’s commentary on additional poems, & our next prompt…
Guest Editor Carole MacRury resides in Point Roberts, Washington, a unique peninsula and border town that inspires her work. Her poems have won awards and been published worldwide, and her photographs have been featured on the covers of numerous poetry journals and anthologies. Her practice of contemplative photography along with an appreciation of haiku aesthetics helps deepen her awareness of the world around her. Both image and written word open her to the interconnectedness of all things, to surprise, mystery and a sense of wonder. She is the author of In the Company of Crows: Haiku and Tanka Between the Tides (Black Cat Press, 2008, 2nd Printing, 2018) and The Tang of Nasturtiums, an award-winning e-chapbook (Snapshot Press 2012).
Lori Zajkowski is the Post Manager for Haiku Dialogue. A novice haiku poet, she lives in New York City.
Managing Editor Katherine Munro lives in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and publishes under the name kjmunro. She is Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, and her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019). Find her at: kjmunro1560.wordpress.com.
The Haiku Foundation reminds you that participation in our offerings assumes respectful and appropriate behavior from all parties. Please see our Code of Conduct policy.
Please note that all poems & images appearing in Haiku Dialogue may not be used elsewhere without express permission – copyright is retained by the creators. Please see our Copyright Policies.
This Post Has 45 Comments
Comments are closed.
This Haiku Dialogue poem captures the essence of the new moon in March, with its delicate and evocative imagery. The interplay between the two voices creates a sense of connection and harmony, as they reflect on the beauty and mystery of the new moon. The use of the traditional Haiku form adds to the sense of elegance and restraint in the poem. Overall, a beautiful and contemplative piece that captures the magic of the natural world.
Incredible collection of new-moon haiku! Well done, everyone!
Thanks so much for including my haiku, Carole.
Two of the poems in this collection stood out to me for their subtlety:
new moon I forget how old the world is
Srini S
Rishi Valley, India
New Moon –
I book an appointment
with my therapist
Ana Drobot
Romania
Thank you so much for selected my haiku!
new moon
the balmy night hums
with mosquitoes
— Firdaus Parvez
The truth about a “balmy ” summer night. No moon in sight yet but the darkness is filled with the hum of mosquitoes. Nicely done!
—
new moon
filling the estuary
with stars
Keith Evetts
Thames Ditton UK
ah, that a new moon can be ‘no visible moon’ or just the sharpest outline of a crescent moon. The dark estuary filled with bobbing stars is a fascinating scene I’m familiar with from way back. Wish I was back there. (Tamboon Inlet)
—
new moon
a rabbit jumps out
of her picture book
Keiko Izawa
Japan
A reminder that we have the rabbit in the moon in Japan as well as in Australia. Australians can identify it by It’s ears, which stick up at a slant. Our Grandmothers used to point these things out to us. 🙂 But here it’s ‘new moon’ so we can see no sign of the rabbit yet . . . until this picture book surprise. 🙂
—
counting stars
beneath a missing moon
we sail on diamonds
Pris Campbell
US
Pris I wish I was there where you are. out on the ocean :
—-
new moon –
a twinkle of stars
in the puddle
Maria Teresa Piras
Serrenti – Italy
A less enviable venue than Pris’s , but a reminder that the stars twinkle as beautifully in a puddle as they do in any sea or estuary.
—
(just a few of my favourites from a lovely collection)
—
new moon
the March Hare pours tea
down a rabbit-hole
Thank you, Lorin. Unseen or not, the moon’s pull fills an estuary… I expected to find a few others pointing to tide among this week’s crop.
I too liked Pris’ lyrical ‘we sail on diamonds’ although as a now-landlocked amateur yachtsperson I recall getting a periodic faceful of diamonds close-hauled!
Thanks for popping in with commentary Lorin! I appreciated your comments on Keiko’s rabbit especially, as I loved that one but wasn’t sure why except that it reminded me of reading books to my own children and acting them out. 🙂 It felt fresh and original, but your comments added another layer to my reading. Your March hare a perfect response! 🙂
Thanks Lorino. A small or huge puddle of twinkling stars in the mud… In the new moon, more wonder for starlight…
Wow! Such wonderful responses from our HD community inspired by Carole. Thanks for choosing my train-ku. In addition to the many fine comments already mentioned, here are a few that stood out for me.
.
moonless sky
those bright stars
in mum’s lullaby
Samo Kreutz
Ljubljana, Slovenia
The idea of a mother making up lyrics to lull a child to sleep reminds me of the many inspired words I have come up with . . .
.
new moon
with my child
some of my childhood too
Stephen A. Peters
Bellingham, WA
Yep, can relate to this. Beautifully stated.
.
starlight
on the river waters
a boatman’s song
Ravi Kiran
India
I like this romantic poem and the way the middle line acts as a pivot.
.
new moon–
the night like pages missing
from a poetry book
Teiichi Suzuki
Japan
A fresh take on the moonless sky. I would prefer ‘the night’ to also be missing from the second line, however, still wonderful.
.
attic window
the light through dust motes maps
new constellations
Jenn Ryan-Jauregui
Tucson, Arizona USA
I can’t stop thinking of this image.
.
a brook murmuring
my mother tongue…
spring equinox
Florin C. Ciobica
Romania
Great poem. Reminds me of Annette Makino’s Touchstone winner,
“long before language the S of the river”
.
Thanks everyone!
Lovely comments John. Thanks for pointing out a few favorites. 🙂
Thank you dear Carole for this delightful collection and commentary. I particularly enjoyed this one for its insight and keenness
star-struck
the evening star
in the morning
Jagajit Salam
Imphal, India.
This one and last Wednesday’ poem too, reveal a sensitive soul.
They are heart-warming
Thank you Carole for also including my haiku in this nice selection. it’s really hard to choose just a few… they all give emotions.
One particularly struck me by the juxtaposition: the moonless sky and the mysterious side of life…
new moon
the dark side
of life
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams
Fairlawn, Ohio USA
this one moved me, maybe because it happened to me that I started to understand a person after a long time… maybe I hadn’t tried before…
coming to understand
the dark side of my father –
New Moon
Hla Yin Mon
Yangon, Myanmar
Delightful mental image in this haiku:
mimosa in bloom…
a thousand little moons
on the marsh
Silvia Bistocchi
Foligno, Italy
Maria, thank-you for commenting on my haiku. I am glad you liked it.
spring moon –
grandma cleans
the silverware
Daniela Lăcrămioara Capotă
Romania
I have memories of horse brasses being polished, though when in the year or how often are lost to me.
Simon, I had similar memories too, even though I’ve left my own silver all tarnished as I never use it anymore! Plus the odd copper tea pot! 🙂 Another thing I enjoyed was the vision of ‘silver’ as it related to the object being cleaned and a silver moon. Enjoyed you sharing about horse brasses! Daniela’s haiku reminds me I should be doing a little spring cleaning too.
So many lovely poems. Here are a couple of images that are especially striking to me.
first crescent
the buck’s
velvet antlers
Charles Harper
Yokohama
~ I can see the beauty of the velvet antlers beginning to glow in the moonlight. The antlers are in a phase of their own.
new moon
she curls around
an empty womb
John Hawkhead
UK
~ the woman’s body forms a crescent along with the moon and I hope her apparent wish is fulfilled.
Thanks for picking this out April. I hope there are many readings/meanings you can get from this…
These are both lovely aren’t they? I’m still waiting to catch a glimpse of our male deer with their velvety antlers. Won’t be long now! A lovely interpretation of John’s haiku too, April! I also saw the thin light curving around the unseen roundness of the moon. Lovely layers in this one. To me, it was full of anticipation and hope.
Trovo molto originale l’haiku di Silvia bistocchi:
mimosa in bloom…
a thousand little moons
on the marsh.
Stupendo.
Thank you Sara. Such an incredible image! So well crafted, without one wasted word and full of sound, bloom/moons/, and the alliteration of ‘m’ wrapping this up like a small gift.
I enjoyed reading all of the wonderful haiku. Thank you, Katherine Munro, Lori Zajkowski, and guest editor Carole MacRury.
The following poems especially resonated with me today. I’ll comment on some.
*
moonless sky
those bright stars
in mum’s lullaby
Samo Kreutz
Ljubljana, Slovenia
This is a beautiful and touching tribute to mothers/your mother.
*
new moon I forget how old the world is
Srini S
Rishi Valley, India
*
new moon
all the stories
mom never told
Neena Singh
India
My last grandparent died last year, and my parents are in their 70s. This really makes me think about all of the things I don’t know and all of the stories that have been forgotten. Well done.
*
new moon –
in the fisherman’s net
song of the sea
Nicole Pottier
France
Lovely! This made me hear sea shanties, but it also made think of selkies, mermaids, and water spirits. Have you seen Song of the Sea (2014 animated film about Irish folklore)?
*
attic window
the light through dust motes maps
new constellations
Jenn Ryan-Jauregui
Tucson, Arizona USA
Gorgeous! And I love this creative take on dust motes.
*
cutting away
at the dark
sickle moon
C.X.Turner
United Kingdom
*
This one is poignant. The movement in this one creates a striking and emotional visual.
new moon
she curls around
an empty womb
John Hawkhead
UK
Loved your thought Kimberley, and so sorry about the loss of your last grandparent. It’s so true that the questions we have usually come up after they have gone. Same in my family…probably in many families! Love your comments on ‘song of the sea’. :-)!!
So many wonderful haiku here on new moon theme. Thank you for including my haiku here Carole and thank you to Lori and Kathy for all the work on this haiku community dialogue. This one stood out for me as a unique take on the theme and hit me on that sort of unexplainable level which haiku sometimes reach:
new moon
I agree to stop
moonlighting
Padma Rajeswari
Mumbai, India
Thanks Sari. It is a unique haiku! Moonlighting (working 2 jobs) is such an interesting word! I can imagine how exhausting it would be and it felt especially poignant that this promise was being made on a dark night when perhaps we reflect more upon our lives.
Thank you so much to Carole MacRury for including my haiku in this wonderful collection for ‘new moon’. And to Kathy and Lori for all you do. I picked some of the haiku to re-embrace from all of the fine poems in this issue. A difficult thing to do. Some draw one back because of being able to identify with, the imagery, the phrasing and word choices, and other. To try to highlight a few is to understand the challenges you meet each submission period, Carole. Thank you!
counting stars
beneath a missing moon
we sail on diamonds
Pris Campbell
US
———–
new moon letting her have you
Susan Burch
Hagerstown, MD
————-
new moon
I take a longer look
at the stars
Sharon Ferrante
Daytona Beach FL USA
————-
still somewhere
mother’s aura
moonless night
Arvinder Kaur
Chandigarh, India
—————
spring equinox
fresh mortar holding
old bricks
Andrew Shimield
UK
—————-
a wrinkled finger
next to a small one
pointing to the stars
Kimberly Kuchar
Austin, Texas
——————
new moon –
the doe nuzzles
her first fawn
Patricia Nelson
Bethlehem, PA
—————-
attic window
the light through dust motes maps
new constellations
Jenn Ryan-Jauregui
Tucson, Arizona USA
————-
new moon
10,000 steps to
catch up with my youth
Priti Khullar
India
————–
Thanks Claire, I am truly blown away each prompt by the quality of the haiku. Any one of these deserve to be selected for commentary. And I’m so happy that all of you are shedding light on your own favorites.
new moon
the balmy night hums
with mosquitoes
Firdaus Parvez
India
spring equinox
moon hides under a blanket
just like me
Damon Huss
Santa Monica, CA
–
I liked these two haiku especially for the images they conceived in my mind, but this is a strong issue in general. Thank you for the careful curation!
Thanks Goran. I am so grateful for the amazing response to this prompt.
quiet night to come
new moon silent in the sky-
cycle of rebirth
Marius Alexandru, USA
Hi Carole:
Thank-you for selecting these wonderful poems. Thanks to Kathy and
Lori for their fine editing. And thank-you for including my haiku.
It is quite difficult to choose a poem as I find them all so beautiful:)
new moon
a rabbit jumps out
of her picture book
Keiko Izawa
Japan
I find Keiko’s poem quite delightful. It reminds me of lovely evenings spent reading to my children.
So many great haiku in this week’s collection. One that really resonated with me with a first read was
new moon
I take a longer look
at the stars
Sharon Ferrante
Daytona Beach FL USA
but then last Friday the night sky was clear of clouds and the constellations just popped. I just looked up and marveled at all the stars.
Thanks, Carole, for including one of my haiku with all these marvelous haiku. I am proud to be among all these poets. Thanks Lori and KJ for all the work you do to keep this column going each week.
Ringrazio di cuore Carole MacRury per aver inserito anche il mio haiku in questa lucente selezione.
Thanks for pointing our favorites Tom. I’m sure the poets appreciate it very much. In actual fact there is very little time to choose the long list and the short list, a day and a night, so when I see this lovely list, I know that on any given day and time, I could have easily chosen to comment on them. Which is why it’s so lovely when everyone takes the time to share favorites and offer comments. I enjoy reading these excellent haiku all over again!! Thank you!
So many excellent poems and so many poets I deeply admire.
But I was particularly pleased to see the return of this one:
a wrinkled finger
next to a small one
pointing to the stars
Kimberly Kuchar
Austin, Texas
What a wonderful generational moment captured.
Thanks for pointing out Kimberly’s poem Eavonka. Such a tender image in this haiku.
Thank you, Carole! And thank you for selecting my haiku.
Thank you, Eavonka! I appreciate your encouragement, and I’m glad this one resonated with you.
A fine selection. Thank you, Carole and team.
I particularly liked:
the train’s rumble fades
into the evening sky
new moon
—John S Green
a candle flutters
on the veranda table –
young moon
—Tomislav Maretić
an owl
swoops over the snow
moonless night
—Ruth Holzer
…all of which allied observation, silence, change, omen and expectancy with classic haiku detachment from ego. And in delightful contrast, again the expectancy in darkness but this time with just a taste of haikai humour — we can’t take the lyrical for granted!
new moon
the balmy night hums
with mosquitoes
— Firdaus Parvez
And I also liked:
a brook murmuring
my mother tongue…
spring equinox
— Florin C. Ciobica
Subtle, seductive, ancient stirrings of spring; the “my” inviting the reader in to something shared by all who have heard a brook. (Although Tennyson did go on a bit)
Thank you Keith for these lovely comments. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them as I’m sure the poets did as well.
Each poem inspires a meditation…endless variations of inspiration!
New beginnings in this fluttering’
a candle flutters
on the veranda table –
young moon
Tomislav Maretić
Zagreb, Croatia
A way to use the lack of light to see
The little lights in the dark!
new moon
I take a longer look
at the stars
Sharon Ferrante
Daytona Beach FL USA
Endless possibilities a brilliant association.. the blank tile!!
tonight’s scrabble play
a blank tile—
new moon’s arrival
Suzanne Leaf-Brock
Ames, Iowa
Thanks Kathabela. I’m always amazed at the range of haiku moments that are submitted each time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this lovely list of poems. I loved Tom’s ‘young’ moon with its connotations. And Suzanne’s blank tile….such an original and fresh haiku!
Carole, thank-you for publishing my haiku. Also, many thanks to the Haiku Foundation, Kathy, and Lori for their continued efforts on this column. Thank-you to all the poets who submitted regardless of whether they were selected or not.
Thanks for your contribution Valentina. There is certainly a dark side to life as your haiku indicates, and perhaps felt more deeply in the absence of moonlight.
the train’s rumble fades
into the evening sky
new moon
John S Green
Bellingham, Washington
starlight
on the river waters
a boatman’s song
Ravi Kiran
India
new moon
God’s presence in
absence
Richard Straw
Cary, North Carolina
moonless sky
those bright stars
in mum’s lullaby
Samo Kreutz
Ljubljana, Slovenia
moving to the next phase of my life new moon
Rupa Anand
New Delhi, India
coming to understand
the dark side of my father –
New Moon
Hla Yin Mon
Yangon, Myanmar
new moon
an extra lamp
in the temple
Baisali Chatterjee Dutt
Kolkata, India
*
It is evident that there are many excellent haiku here and it is difficult for me to make a selection. It’s really hard to be a judge. The topic is inspiring, which is probably why there are so many good haiku.
Thanks Tom! I’m always thankful when I receive such wonderful poems even if it does make the selection process difficult. I try to show a broad range of responses….more about diversity than judging. Some fine poems that were too similar to others didn’t make the list but may find a home elsewhere for sure! I’m just grateful for everyone that takes the time to send in a poem or two, whether they make the lists or not. Inspiration is always good.