Daily Verse
Week 1, November 2024

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.


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...

Haiku & Cherita
By Jan Stretch 5th November 2024

fruit fly
out the corner of my eye
a floater

dying
days
cobwebs
in the
corners
of my mind

Haiku on Forgotten Corners
By Steliana Cristina voicu 7th November 2024

Balchik…
the wind carrying cherry petals
to a forgotten queen

starlit veranda…
pierced pumpkins
out to dry

orientale dance…
on a rotten apple
moonbeams


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

Snigdha Agrawal (nee Banerjee) has an MBA in Marketing and Corporate work experience of over two decades. She enjoys writing all genres of poetry, prose, short stories, and travel diaries. Brought up in a cosmopolitan environment, and educated in Convent Schools run by Irish Nuns, she has imbibed the best from Eastern and Western cultures. She has authored 4 books, namely Trail Mix, Minds Unplugged, Evocative Renderings & Tales of the Twins.
Jan Stretch is a retired psychiatric nurse-therapist from Victoria BC Canada. She enjoys her large extended family, especially her two grandchildren and returned to thoughts of poetry on her daily walks during Covid. Jan was first published in the Dear Vaccine Anthology in 2022 and has since been published in numerous international journals, podcasts and anthologies. She especially loves writing Japanese short form and Cherita although is occasionally inspired to write longer poems. She is currently an administrator on Haiku Moments Facebook group. Insights gained from her years as a therapist and her nature walks continue to inform her poetry.
Sherin Mary Zacharia a young poet of 21 expresses herself through her verses. She loves to write about nature most but some of her poems are on topics like mental illness and disability. She is a regular blogger (www.musingsofsher.in) and often contributes to English anthologies. She has received several awards and recognitions latest being the selection of her poem by the United Nations as part of observing World Autism Awareness Day 2023. A self-learner she likes to read, watch visual lessons and travel. Being a non speaking autistic she lets her poetry be her voice. Moonlight is her collection of poems and short prose(2017). She is a co author of Talking Fingers(2022) and Discourses on Disability (2021) Sherin is from Kochi , Kerala, India where she lives with her parents, younger sister and pet cat.
Steliana Cristina Voicu lives in Ploieşti, Romania and loves painting, poetry, Japanese culture, photography and astronomy. Her haiku, tanka, haiga, poetry, short-prose have been published worldwide, including Asahi Haikuist Network, Daily Haiga, The Wise Owl-The Daily Verse, Under the Bashō, Chrysanthemum and others. She is founder and editor of Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal-Romania. instagram: steliana_voicu
Week 2, November 2024

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!


Haiku on Forgotten Corners
by Deborah Bennett 12th November 2024

broken rung -
i continue up
the persimmon tree

pushing the wheelchair
of her mother too -
path of morning dew

as one of us -
flower of the sala tree
withering

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

Haiku
By Giuliana Ravaglia 14th November 2024

shards of the moon -
an empty shell
on the coast


dawn of dreams -
on the abandoned easel
the creepers

deserted bench-
a bouquet of roses
without perfume


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.
Biswajit Mishra writes poems and occasionally flash fiction. He also writes sporadically in his native language Odia. Born in India and having lived in Kenya, Biswajit and his wife Bharati live in Calgary, Canada.
Giuliana Ravaglia, born in the province of Bologna (Italy), is a former primary school teacher and has a great love for poetry, especially haiku. His poems have been published on websites and online magazines: Otata, Troutswirl, ESUJ-H, Asahi Haikuist Network, The Mainichi, Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, Haikuuniverse, Cold Moon Journal, Akita International Haiku Network, The Bamboo Hut, Take 5ive, Haiku Corner, Memoirs of a Geisha, HaikuNetra, Haiku World, Failed Haiku among others. he received Honorable mention in Haiku EuroTop 100

Week 3, October 2024

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.


Poems on Nostalgia
by Tuyet van do 15th October 2024

first spring walk
an empty swing
in the park

faded photo
on the mantelpiece
sound of wind howling

afternoon stroll
an elderly couple
holding hands

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.

Micro Poems
By Belinda Behna 17th October 2024

a child’s glazed eyes
sweets behind glass
just out of reach
one small coin
clutched in her fist
is it enough

a host of swallows
swirl beneath storm clouds
frenzied last supper

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


I am in your new house
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
Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca has been a teacher of English, French and Spanish in educational institutions in India and internationally. Her poems have been published in various journals and anthologies, including the Yearbook of Indian Poetry in English and The Journal of Indian Poetry in English by Sahitya Akademi. ‘Family Sunday and other Poems’ was published in 1989 and a chapbook ‘Light of the Sabbath’ in September 2021. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her poem “How to Light Up a Poem” in 2020.

Tuyet Van Do lives in Australia. She loves poetry and writes whenever inspiration strikes. Her work has appeared in various publications both online and in print. She was nominated for the Touchstone Award for Individual Poems in 2022.
Dr. Sarojkanta Dash is a bilingual writer and scholar from Odisha, India. He is a pioneering figure in Odia literary criticism, with a focus on formalism and close reading. His published works include the Odia short story collection "Anuragara Basna" (2010) and "Scarred Memories: Reconstruction of Experience in Partition Narratives" (2015), a seminal work in trauma studies. His poems have been featured in international anthologies. With proficiency in English and Odia, Dr. Dash continues to make valuable contributions to literature, solidifying his position as a trailblazing figure in Odia literary criticism.
Ronita Chattopadhyay (she/her) finds refuge in words. She also makes a living out of it while supporting not for profit organisations in India. Her poems have appeared in The Hooghly Review, Roi Fainéant Press, Akéwì Magazine, Setu, Rogue Agent Journal, RIC Journal, among others, and anthologies by Querencia Press (Winter Anthology 2024) and Sídhe Press (To Light The Trails. Poems by Women In a Violent World). She lives in West Bengal, India.
Belinda Behne grew up in the midwest, but she has spent most of her adult life in the vibrant culture of New York City. Her first career, as a teacher of special education, led her to the love of art, literature and theatre. She has pursued her passions of acting, writing poetry and performing professional voice-overs for more than three decades. She currently lives on the edge of a salt marsh, where life continues to inspire her in new ways. Her poems can be found in LEAF Journal, The Wise Owl, Scarlet Dragonfy and Cold Moon Journal.

Week 4, October 2024

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.


Senryu
by David Cox 22nd October 2024

weight
of the day…
one yen coin

unwrapping the
envelope so carefully -
nigiri roll

undoing every
word of the poem…
babies and bath water

Micro Poems
By Jerome Berglund, 23rd October, 2024

a face
in the empty
space
where the trees
don't touch

they switched
the bulbs
but balanced
color temperature
we didn't notice

witness
a prang —
the lightning
these days seems
less forgiving

Poems
By Kevin Cowdall 24th October 2024

Bamboo Flute
A single high note,
piercing the afternoon air.
Then all is silent.

Old Window
Grubby old window
letting in a little light
and a lot of draught.

Sunflowers
Standing in a row,
they all raise their heads as one,
a silent fanfare.

Nightingale’s Song
A nightingale sings –
a song to gladden the heart
and lift the spirit.


Poems on Nostalgia

baby birds
tasting the tips
of the tiniest twigs

honeybee
the flower's lover
fluffs her golden hair

sparkles
in the stargazer's eyes
a puppet's smile
Biographies of Poets
David Cox teaches secondary English in international schools and has most recently been in Beijing. He has been very involved with the Japanese short form since 2020 but has written poetry since he was 17.

Jerome Berglund has worked as everything from dishwasher to paralegal, night watchman to assembler of heart valves. Many haiku, haiga and haibun he’s written have been exhibited or are forthcoming online and in print, most recently in bottle rockets, Frogpond, and Modern Haiku. His first full-length collections of poetry Bathtub Poems and Funny Pages were just released by Setu and Meat For Tea press, and a mixed media chapbook showcasing his fine art photography is available now from Yavanika.
Kevin Cowdall's poems have been published in journals, magazines, and anthologies, and on web sites, across the globe and broadcast on BBC Radio, RTÉ Radio, Ireland, and local radio stations across the UK. His 2016 retrospective collection, Assorted Bric-à-brac brought together the best from three previous collections (The Reflective Image, Monochrome Leaves, and A Walk in the Park) with a selection of newer poems). His most recent collection, Natural Inclinations, features fifty poems with a common theme of the natural world.
Robert Witmer has resided in Japan for the past 45 years. Now an emeritus professor, he has had the opportunity to teach courses in poetry and creative writing not only at his home university in Tokyo but also in India. His poems and prose poetry have appeared in many print and online journals and books. His first book of poetry, a collection of haiku titled Finding a Way, was published in 2016. A second book of poetry, titled Serendipity, was published earlier this year (2023). An author’s page for Robert Witmer can be found at both the Poets & Writers and AuthorsDen websites.

Poems on Nostalgia
Fatma Zohra Habis 28th October 2024

Jasmine blooms
so without introduction
thoughts unfold
I feel a warm touch
from mother nature

secrets of darkness
the night wears its cloak
time passes slowly
memories of longing accumulate
deep is this sky

morning fog
on the mountain road ...
I search for him
on dim pathways
with my heart's own light


Poems on Nostalgia
by Al Gallia 29th October 2024

attic rummaging…
inside a cobwebbed chest
dad’s navy cap

alpine lake
on the granite boulder
our fading initials

abandoned house
in the overgrown yard
a rusting tricycle

Poems on Nostalgia
By Maurizio Brancaleoni, 30th October, 2024

though encircled
its wrinkles untouched by rain —
armchair

autumn morning —
those checkout girls
gleam less brightly

the flickering of a floodlight —
autumn semitones

Poems
By Kavita Ratna 31st October 2024

leaves scrunch
with every step...
thoughts quieten

a mynah bobs
on the tip of a branch...
Hamlet moment

August showers
dawn pats dry
the tears

bookcase...
an abhaya mudra
raises above the words


Poems on Nostalgia

baby birds
tasting the tips
of the tiniest twigs

honeybee
the flower's lover
fluffs her golden hair

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.
