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Daily Verse
 

Week 1, November  2024
 

Image by Weichao Deng

Footfalls through faded Leaves
byMonika Ajay Kaul  1st Nov 2024

The air turns crisp,

memories endure a chill.

And I linger at the doorway

where home was once

the scent of rain on wood.

Autumn, soft and hesitant,

layers the earth in gold,

as if the trees fear letting go.

It stirs something old,

an ancient knowing

of rooms that held warmth

before seasons began to shift within me.

 

Exile is not distance,

but a state of being,

when home is no longer a place,

but a longing woven

into every step I take.

Leaves fall,

and with them,

debris of voices,

from a time before stillness crept in,

before the road swallowed all direction.

 

 

The brittle crack beneath my feet

reminds me..

a fragile noise,

like the way home once felt.

Alive,

before a lull settled in its place.

Memories decay,

like autumn itself,

into something tender.

A fading.

Carrying the weight of belonging,

and the ache of its loss.

 

I carry them,

those rooms,

that air,

the redolence.

Knowing they belong

to another season now.

Image by kazuend
Crayon

In Autumn' Hush

by Snigdha Agrawal  4th November  2024

in autumn’s hush, leaves descend

a fleeting dance before the end

like lives that drift from green to gold,

bloom, burn,

then quietly fold

life...

like autumn

must let go

to seed the earth 

for what will grow

Purple Petunias​

purple petunias...

she hides the bruises

colours once bold

now veiled in decay

like autumn leaves

turning brittle

a quiet surrender

to age...

Image by Laura Chouette

Haiku & Cherita

By Jan Stretch 5th November 2024

Eyes

fruit fly
out the corner of my eye
a floater

Image by Belinda Fewings

dying
days

cobwebs
in the
corners

of my mind

Image by Joyful

Haiku on Forgotten Corners

By Steliana Cristina voicu 7th November 2024

Image by Masaaki Komori

Balchik…
the wind carrying cherry petals
to a forgotten queen

Image by Jovan Vasiljević

starlit veranda…
pierced pumpkins
out to dry

Image by GKVP

orientale dance…
on a rotten apple
moonbeams

Screenshot 2025-02-02 at 1.00.56 PM.png
Flower

A House and its memories

By Sherin Mary Zacharia 6th November  2024

Much to recollect

On those shapes

The shapes of shadows

The shadow-puzzle thrown by leaves

The green leaves of the mango tree

The mango tree in the garden

The garden in front of the house

The house was old, many lives it seen,

 many tales it has to tell.

They would sit in the spaces restricted

Near the wooden stairs,

Near the grinding stone,

Near the stacked fire wood;

Those corners where sunlight retreated early

Where the rustle of mango leaves forgot to reach.

 

No longer their stories travel

Not anymore, from lips to ears

No more is there anyone, to tell their tales.

The house, desolate.

Its corners where secrets whispered

Now swept with dust, crumbled memories

By the cold winds.

The cold yesterdays, like fallen leaves

Slowly to be moved aside

Into secluded corners

Of the mind, left to be forgotten.

Biographies of Poets

Week 2, November  2024
 

Image by Erik Witsoe

Autumn's Canvas
by Narinderjit Kaur  8th November 2024

When nature’s canvas turns into

A palette of amber and gold

The languorous earth takes a sabbatical

And the sun bears a faded smile

 

When the crushed leaves are strewn around

Like the shards of bleeding dreams

The passion that once set my being ablaze

Lies frozen in the deep cold chambers

 

When the gusty winds shake

The lone sprig of the denuded tree

A dalliance long lost, stirs somewhere

In the rusted folds of memory.

 

The murky mist without

Settles deep within

Choking ‘n constricting

The frail heart.

The soul longs for the Sun

That warmed it

Long ago!

Image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko
Crayon

Haiku on Forgotten Corners

by Deborah Bennett   12th November  2024

Image by Elisa Stone

broken rung  -

i continue up

the persimmon tree

wheelchair

pushing the wheelchair 

of her mother too  -

path of morning dew 

withering sala.png

as one of us  -

flower of the sala tree

withering

Image by Aaron Burden

Unto that Haven

By Supatra Sen 11th November 2025

Across solitude and autumn hues

I return

Home

To myself…

 

To my hidden corners

Of fairy tales

And enchanted trees

Of magical lands

And wispy clouds

Of people who never grow up

Of music which never dies

 

My retreat

My shelter

With scattered fragments

Of myself

Strongly secured

With multitude of roles

And chains of time

a quill & book.jpg
Image by xiaokang Zhang

shards of the moon -

an empty shell

on the coast

Image by Adam Dillon

dawn of dreams -

on the abandoned easel

the creepers

Image by Alaeddin Hallak

deserted bench-

a bouquet of roses

without perfume

house
Flower

Metamorphosis

By Biswajit Mishra  13th November  2024

The little house

we lived in near the equator

a colonial residue we were told

with a tinned roof

shut windows to ward off the bugs

locked gates to seal the noise out

and you painted it vibrant

without a brush,

the volume within growing

with your breath every day

that aired it well too.

 

Outside, you planted the flowers

which were not a patch

on the blossom inside and

floral aroma of the garden

was challenged by the flavor

that you stirred out of the pots

and as an icing on top:

we saw our first double rainbow across the gate

crowning the little house

where the colonial sediments

still clung to the unused fireplace’s chimney

but you waved it all away

always restoring the house

to what you destined it to be

as you went about expanding

every part of a room.

 

I wonder if our visitors

saw the hues, and

the expansiveness

like we did

unless they came without

their lenses

and

mirrors with pent images!

Biographies of Poets

Narinder Jit Kaur, a trilingual writer, and translator, who writes with fair ease and finesse in English, Hindi, and Punjabi, is a retired Associate Professor of English. Her articles, stories, and poems are regularly published in various newspapers and magazines. She has translated five books from Punjabi to English, including three novels and two collections of short stories. Her sixth book Dawn to Dusk is a collection of 58 middle articles published in prominent newspapers. The Icicle: A Collection of Short Stories is her seventh book, her first in creative writing.

Deborah A. Bennett lives in small town USA, where she enjoys gardening and writing haiku. Her work has appeared in various online and print publications, and was Long-listed for The Haiku Foundation's Touchstone Award for Individual Poems in 2022.

Dr. Supatra Sen is Associate Professor And Head PG Dept of Botany, Asutosh College,Kolkata. She loves to read and write poetry in her spare time.

Week 3, October 2024

Image by Jonas Weckschmied

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.

Image by Sincerely Media
Crayon

Poems on Nostalgia

by Tuyet van do  15th October  2024

Image by Gabriel

first spring walk 

an empty swing

in the park

Image by Vinit Vispute

faded photo

on the mantelpiece

sound of wind howling 

Screenshot 2024-12-12 at 3.59.27 PM.png

afternoon stroll

an elderly couple 

holding hands 

Image by Gayatri Pandkar

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. 

Image by Aaron Burden

Micro Poems

By Belinda Behna 17th October 2024

Image by Matt Seymour

a child’s glazed eyes
sweets behind glass
just out of reach


one small coin
clutched in her fist
is it enough

Image by Ronan Furuta

a host of swallows
swirl beneath storm clouds
frenzied last supper

Image by Kelsey Farish

planted pink
my poppy blooms
bright red
a mind of her own

shards.png
Flower

I am in your new house

By Ronita Chattopadhyay, 18th October 2024

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

Week 4, October 2024

Insomnia

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.

Image by Florencia Viadana
Crayon

Senryu

by David Cox  22nd October  2024

Image by note thanun

weight 

of the day…

one yen coin 

Image by Anne Nygård

unwrapping the 

envelope so carefully -

nigiri roll 

Image by Unseen Studio

undoing every

word of the poem…

babies and bath water 

Books

Micro Poems

By Jerome Berglund, 23rd October, 2024

Abstract Texture

a face 

in the empty 

space 

where the trees 

don't touch

Abstract Liquid

they switched 

the bulbs 

but balanced 

color temperature

we didn't notice

Abstract Paint

witness 

a prang — 

the lightning 

these days seems

less forgiving 

Image by Aaron Burden

Poems

By Kevin Cowdall 24th October 2024

Image by Saubhagya gandharv

Bamboo Flute

 

A single high note,

piercing the afternoon air.

Then all is silent.

Image by Denny Müller

Old Window

 

Grubby old window

letting in a little light

and a lot of draught.

Image by Bonnie Kittle

Sunflowers

 

Standing in a row,

they all raise their heads as one,

a silent fanfare.

Screenshot 2025-01-07 at 8.54.11 PM.png

Nightingale’s Song

 

A nightingale sings –

a song to gladden the heart

and lift the spirit.

Desk with Book
Flower

Poems on Nostalgia

By Robert Witmer, 25th October 2024

Image by Dulcey Lima

baby birds

tasting the tips

of the tiniest twigs

Image by Christoph

honeybee

the flower's lover

fluffs her golden hair

Image by Annie Niemaszyk

sparkles

in the stargazer's eyes

a puppet's smile

Biographies of Poets

Image by Nick Fewings

Poems on Nostalgia

Fatma Zohra Habis 28th October 2024

Image by EVGEN SLAVIN

Jasmine blooms

so without introduction

thoughts unfold

I feel a warm touch

from mother nature

Image by Phil Botha

secrets of darkness

the night wears its cloak

time passes slowly

memories of longing accumulate

deep is this sky

Image by Katie Moum

morning fog

on the mountain road ...

I search for him

on dim pathways 

with my heart's own light

Image by MΛTΞ
Crayon

Poems on Nostalgia

by Al Gallia  29th October  2024

Image by Peter Herrmann

attic rummaging…

inside a cobwebbed chest

dad’s navy cap

Image by Ales Krivec

alpine lake

on the granite boulder

our fading initials

tricycle.png

abandoned house

in the overgrown yard

a rusting tricycle

Books

Poems on Nostalgia

By Maurizio Brancaleoni, 30th October, 2024

Image by Olena Bohovyk

though encircled
its wrinkles untouched by rain —
armchair

Image by DoorDash

autumn morning —

those checkout girls

gleam less brightly

Image by Cory Woodward

the flickering of a floodlight —

autumn semitones

Image by Aaron Burden

Poems

By Kavita Ratna 31st October 2024

Screenshot 2025-01-15 at 3.59.56 PM.png

leaves scrunch

with every step...

thoughts quieten

Image by viswaprem anbarasapandian

a mynah bobs

on the tip of a branch...

Hamlet moment 

Image by David Bruyndonckx

August showers

dawn pats dry

the tears

Image by Peter Herrmann

bookcase...

an abhaya mudra

raises above the words

Desk with Book
Flower

Poems on Nostalgia

By Robert Witmer, 25th October 2024

Image by Dulcey Lima

baby birds

tasting the tips

of the tiniest twigs

Image by Christoph

honeybee

the flower's lover

fluffs her golden hair

Image by Annie Niemaszyk

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.

Al Gallia is a poet from Lafayette, Louisiana USA. He loves writing poetry in every moment he can spare. 

Maurizio Brancaleoni lives near Rome, Italy. He holds a master's degree in Language and Translation Studies from Sapienza University. His haiku and senryu have appeared in Synchronized Chaos, Dadakuku, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Under The Basho, among others. In 2023 one of his micropoems was nominated for a Touchstone Award, while a horror ku originally featured in the Halloween-themed issue of Scarlet Dragonfly was re-published in this year's Dwarf Stars anthology.  Maurizio manages “Leisure Spot", a bilingual blog where he posts interviews, reviews and translations.

Kavita Ratna is a children's rights activist, poet and a theatre enthusiast.  Sea Glass is her first anthology of poems. Her poems have appeared in The Kali Project: Invoking the Goddess Within, A little book of serendipity, Presence, the Asahi Shimbun, Muse India, The Wise Owl, haikuKATHA, Haiku in Action, Poetry Pea, Black and White Haiga, Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, Cold Moon Journal, Five Fleas Itchy Poetry, Haiku Dialogue, Stardust Haiku, LEAF, New Verse News, haikuNetra, Haikuniverse, failed haiku and Parcham. She has been actively involved in the Glass House Poetry Festival, Bangalore, 2024 and the Mysore Literature Festival, 2024. She is also a Pushcart Prize nominee. 

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