You ask me, "what is life, my friend?" It's not just days that start and end. To see and know what life can be, Step inside hospital-quietly. There, in the halls where silence speaks, You'll find the strong, the frail, the weak. From newborn cries to whispered sighs, From hopeful hearts to tear-filled eyes. Mothers praying beside her child, Elderly waiting, worn and mild. A soldier limps with wounds unseen, A monk walks past, so calm, serene. Some hold hands and some onto air, Some feel lost, but still they care. A mask can't hide the fear inside, Yet love and strength refuse to hide. Crutches click and wheelchairs roll, Each soul bears a heavy toll. A stretcher moves - eyes turn away, Another fight for life today. To visit doctors, lines are long, Yet hope keeps beating, loud and strong. Numbers called like whispered fate, Some move on, and some must wait. No one cares for wealth or name, In illness, we are the same. From every walk, from near and far, All gather here with healing scars. A single slip, a folder thick, Each tells a story, slow or quick. Some stare at screens to pass the time, Down I sit and scribble rhyme. And when you walk through those quiet wards, Where pain and courage guard the doors - You'll feel life's weight, its silent call: Fragile, fleeting...yet worth it all. © TSHERING WANCHUK Bhutan

Sweet rain, A melancholic beauty, In every drop's flow. Your memory haunts me so. Your gentle touch, On my skin so fair, Brings solace to my soul, And calm to the air. Your rhythmic beat, Echoes wisps of memories The scent of wet earth, A perfume so fine, Fills my heart with mirth. In your misty veil, A melancholic peace, Your sweet refrain, Songs of love, loss, pain. Raindrops on the roof, A soothing serenade, A heartbeat in the night, A lullaby that whispers, "all is right." Let the rain wash over me, A soothing balm, for my soul's dark plea. For in your beauty, I find my peace, Sweet rain, of my ethereal refrain. © MILDRED D.J. PAR Philippines

Tell me, what else should I write to you! You don't want to hear anything Yet I want to say, How many words should I say to the wind that blows under a sky? Can you hear them? As the evening star and the morning star I saw you in the sky as the full moon. In the western sky, in the evening and the east in the morning, I see a glimpse of your beauty all night. My mortal existence did not come into your eyes, That is why I remain invisible to you. The Sun of the day and the full moon, they never meet in the sky yet they're wandering in the same sky. The departure of one is the rise of the other Both are bound in a unique combination. Maybe many things happen silently; All my words remain deep in my heart. They become sighs and merge into the air. The river listens to the sound of tears. The mountain stands silent. The forest's heart becomes sad and heavy, Only you don't want to listen, so why should I write anymore! © ASRAF ALI INDIA

(Photograph above, © Peter Davies) Who am I to love you, The flower of my sight, Who am I to need you, In colors burning bright, Who am I to touch you, The breeze upon my skin, Who am I to dream you, A bell my soul shall ring. The sky is blue and open For a mountain and the sea, Spring becoming summer I hear it whispering to me The sky is blue and silent As the valley bathed in light, Music sings in every stone A life stirs there tonight. What am I to love you The river beneath the rain, What am I to know you In visions I feel the pain; What am I to breathe you The wind loving the trees, What am I to ache for you A fool falling to his knees. The sky is blue and longing For the flower meadow girl, Summer becoming autumn While our stories they unfurl; The sky is blue and flawless As I search its depths for you, Time retraces our footsteps A heart evaporates like dew. Who am I to love you The apple blossom kiss, Who am I to need you In a place to perfect bliss; Who am I to touch you The shadow of the Moon, Who am I to dream you, A day that ends too soon. © PETER DAVIES UK

Journey through the ascending syllables of nine visionary voices, whose etherees climb from whisper to crescendo, revealing and reveling in poetry's perfect, geometric ascent. "when we were swans" swans sing sweet memories of us back then upon still waters before the violent storm that came and tore us apart just when we thought it was so safe wrong words like tsunamis drowned us both anamnesis reflections haunt my heart nemesis contentions ripped apart in foggy fugue of this recollect reverie connection of us graceful floating on water together still tranquil content without words swimming in love buoyant safe sweet song swans © MATT ELMORE U.S. "WATER" Pooled water inspires fugue in life's journeys flowing energy Inspired thoughts crystallize and life makes us feel peaceful creates a calming reverie giving in positive energies vibrations attract all by purity © BANDANA SAHOO India "THE GAME OF MIND" It feels like an unreal anamnesis even though apophenia lives inside of me, like distortion I follow intuition I try to crystallize to bring reverie much closer to vellichor a great Sight. © BOGDANA GAGEANU Romania "DIVER" Me Diver Dived into Mind subconscious By anamnesis With apophenia Suddenly I reached a fugue Slowly I went to reverie Me diver, brought a fragrant poem To crystallize undesired vellichor. © SUBHASHCHANDRA ADHAV India "THE TWILIGHT" The Twilight Came on wings, Gentle. A thread Of anamnesis Weaved patterns of velvet Reverie, as the mist spread In a gentle fugue, deepening The darkness with longing, looking for A place to rest and anchor for the night. © KALUCHARAN SAHU India Sigh ! Reason, Unwanted Anamnesis For a big-winged bird 'Neath apophenia An endless crystallized spot Binding tit bits from its own fugue Reverie, aura of his old love Riding on vellichor grabbing the blue. © DR. MUSHTAQUE B. BARQ India Dreams at night, woke me up to see God's paints They took me to skies full of silky colors Moon phase, magical canvas Dreamy stars, palette of passions My brushstroke follows style of God's art They mirror my childhood colorful dreams © MEHRANGIZ TALAIEZADEH Iran "SPRING HAS COME" March was in Reverie when April called... The Anamnesis brought up colorful spring. Sun is warm and rains tepid countryside is dressed like a bride. Ambient air smells like blossom scents, reverberating fugue of bird chirpings. © RAFIYA SAYEED India Woken from reverie by whiffs unknown transport me to garden overgrown alcove for sanity's refuge to pen in heavenly fugue apophenia vague giddiness unwise un-crystallized vellichor slipping gone. © RUPA RAO U.S.

Each day brings new opportunities to honor, defend, respect and restore the only home we've ever known. "EARTH REVERENCE" I walk gently upon this soil, mindful of each footfall throughout the seasons. Spring finds me planting seeds with whispered gratitude, summer has me conserving water even as the sun demands more. When autumn leaves fall, I see not waste but future nourishment, collecting them for compost that will feed next year's growth. In winter's gelid silence, I take only what I need, leaving the rest for creatures whose survival margins are thinner than mine, my respect for Earth isn't confined to a single day of celebration but lives in countless small choices - refusing plastic, repairing instead of replacing, observing without disturbing. When I harvest vegetables from my garden, I thank both soil and sun for their generosity. This reverence is woven through ordinary days, a quiet covenant between myself and the living world that sustains us all. © CONCETTA PIPIA U.S. "LIONIZING THE JOLLIFICATION" Each step I take on the grass Each time I lie down on the rocks Each time a stone pinched me Mother Earth is celebrating with us When the rain drenches the trees When the glistening sun touches streams When the spring speaks melody Mother Earth is merrymaking with us Her patience when I jump on her Her compassion when we dig earth Her empathy when we use grenades Mother Earth is teaching patience to us She taught me the intensity of tolerance She asked me to forgive calmly She sheltered even the egoistic men So, why can't I party with such a strong lady, happily? © SONAL RAO India The laughter of the earth blooms Where? In its flowers How? By the petals of its continents. The laughter of the earth ripples in the seas, Where? In its waters How? From the smile of its waves. The laughter of the earth blows Where? In its winds How? From the thunder of its clouds. The laughter of the earth shines, Where? In the sun How? From its golden rays. The laughter of the earth beams Where? In its moon How? From its silvery beams. The laughter of the earth will be saved: Where? On earth How? By our response to Mother Earth lullabies full of love. © MEHRANGIZ TALAIEZADEH Iran "OUR PLANET EARTH" You're my breath of fresh air My morning light in the sky Idyllic mountains in the fog Swaying of trees in the park Smell of flowers in my garden An orchestra of birds singing The reason to see clouds float Gurgling of lakes and streams Making me feel alive with smiles Laughter fills the heart with love Show respect to God's creatures Mother Earth is our home planet. © GLORIA MAGALLANES-LOEB U.S. "CELEBRATE NATURE" As I walk barefoot on the dewy grass, feeling the earth's gentle caress, I'm reminded of the profound connection we share with our planet. Every day is an opportunity to celebrate, honor and nuture this sacred bond. In my own small way, I try to be mindful of my footprint. I reduce, reuse, and recycle; conserve water and energy; and support local, sustainable initiatives. I also make time for nature - walking in the woods, watching sunsets, or simply sitting by a river, listening to its gentle flow. But celebrating Earth is not just about individual actions; it's also about collective awareness and advocacy. It's about educating ourselves and others about the urgent need for environmental protection, and working together to create a more sustainable future. © PRAISE MK NKHOMA Malawi ** "THE EARTH SONG" I searched for the Earth song In the valleys and into the hills I asked the wind where it came from Didn't know how far the rays of the sun I was looking for the Earth song Sitting by the brook all day long In the silence I was drowning Half-awake or I might be just dreaming I want to hear the Earth song The echoes of her lullaby To see the cacophony playing Right before this very eye Then I heard the crashing of the waves Rushing to the shore in an endless parade The thunder roared above so loud Followed by the rain tiptoeing in the ground The owls hoot and bees buzzing Hills are alive with the song of the Earth Roosters cackle, cows moo in the meadow Valleys are alive with the song of the Earth I don't want to get lost from the melody and rhythm Or at least I could stay just pretending I'm sad because I didn't know There's no playback of the song to show The Earth song cannot be repeated Every moment is a masterpiece The melody and rhythm were it belongs In every heartbeat you can hear that song Alas, can I bring it back, may I hear it again? Remember there is no more rewinding Every moment, every heartbeat is a masterpiece The Earth is silent but only once when it passes I dreamed of a dream of dreams Every moment, every heartbeat is a masterpiece Yeah, I have found the earth song. © FLOYD GALE CABUS Philippines

The beauty of Haiku is in the ability to capture a moment of awareness, featuring fifteen remarkable poets. "SKIES and CLOUDS" The scurrying clouds Rocky immovable sky Never ever meet Selfish cold blue skies Generous inky black clouds Sprinkling down white rain Sky haughty and blue Naughty clouds falling in love With the thirsty grass © SHWETA SAHAI India "FAITH" A test of truth faith Subdues the inner evils Purifies the soul. A realm of options All the defiant travails Fill the heart with joy. © GUS PEREZ AMIO Philippines Calla lily bends - Spring rain slides along the curve Summer waits in buds © CONCETTA PIPIA U.S. "EASTER MORNING" Woman, why weep thou Stone is open, here I am Oh, Hallelujah! Deep marks on these hands Wounded by crucifixion Why the Messiah? I come to conquer Sins remitted, glorified By my Father's will Atonement's my gift Suffered, bled from every pore Then the world goes still © MARIA EVELYN QUILLA SOLETA Philippines "THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING" Whispers in the wind Bring memories to the fore - Leaves drift like lost thoughts The moonless blue night Shivers in the cold weather; Dreams freeze in the snow. Let the fresh dawn come, Melt the silence of the night, Heal the frigid earth. © KALUCHARAN SAHU India Faith with a passion Mystified love and promise Credence will prevail. © VINCE VALDEZ Toronto, Ontario "GOOD FRIDAY" Silent day of grief, Hope in shadows, love revealed Faith's promise endures © LIBERTY BASSEY Nigeria "A NEW LIFE" Shadows fill my days Sorrow's heavy, endless sea Pain my only friend © PRAISE MK NKHOMA Malawi " LATE SPRING" Where is the bright sun Winter undone and yet still Rain sodden clouds come Clouds fit for bursting Pregnant and ready to split Birthing our sorrows Why does the bird sing Such hope in his tiny heart Why does the bird sing The cock robin struts Impatient for spring hoping From foot to small foot Petals are falling Confetti on swirling breeze Yet more blooms are born © RHIANNON OWENS UK "VIVID TRUTH" Vivid truth, life's short Dazzling in its brightest With our noble thoughts Sure, dust I am in No doubt, dust, I will return, Nothing will return. Honorable seat Reserve other's precious heart Value, the fullest. This life is nothing But to reserve something good Yes, losing nothing. Germinate pure art Other's heart arted subtly With flowery thought. © PRASANNA BHATTA India Love conquers the heart Poem for poetry day New inspiration © SNEŽANA ŠOLKOTOVIC Serbia Pressed rose in journal Reminisces glory days Old aged brown crumbling Heartburn whiff hits hard Feels acrid smoky choking Yet romance slips in Caressing zephyr Cooling calm serenity Marks monsoon onset Spring tiptoes softly Harsh winter drags feet heavy Scenic greens sing spring Overcast gray day Sunshine of cheer pierces chink Sprinkles gold on earth © RUPA RAO U.S. The lilac blossomed Behind the old father's house It smells like childhood © SILVANA DIMITRIEVSKA Skopje, Macedonia "LOVE OF MY LIFE" The love of my life A beautiful rose divine Makes me always smile © RITA CHUGH India "WINTER SERENITY" Snowflakes gently fall Blanketing the winter scene Serenity reigns! © SHAMPA SAHA India

"REVISITING THE OLD HOME" There are still traces of the broken walls, Now overgrown with moss, The opening where the door once stood - And an overpowering sense of loss. But most of all, there's silence, Not even blackbirds sing, What happened to the laughter? In my head, I still hear it ring. My footsteps on this wild grass place, Seem to disturb the settled gloom, As if it was a sacrilege - And I had trodden on its tomb. © John Anthony Fingleton (Lost Viking) Paraguay

"MY FALLEN CAMELLIAS..." Beside the walkway to my door, I can hear my fallen Camellias whispering my name, chocked in tears, and I cry inside... I pause despondent, at that sight, and bend to move them to softer beds of grass... while waving goodbye... For one last time... Remembering how gloriously they shined in the sun not long ago. They look beautiful, still, even as they fade, to my grieving eyes... Yes, I'm a believer... that they can sense and respond in kind, in their special way... just as people do... I feel it in my heart... Our flowers are us... When one falls, a part of us dies and bites the dust... Only to be resurrected in newness and hope... And, as life moves on, so do we... Even in stillness, without a hitch... Only love endures eternal past the end... © Nasser Goudarzi USA

March 2025 Editor's Choice featuring Gabriel S. Weah "MASK OF A BROKEN KID" I have a mother, A beautiful mother, Gifted by God, yet burdened by fate. Around her neck, she wears A necklace of injustice, Her lips glossed with the shade of despair. When the wind blows, It carries the scent of her anguish. Her head rests in the West, Yet her face is masked with oppression. At times, I cry - But soon, I swallow the pain and move on. I have a mother, A beautiful mother, painted with sorrow. In broad daylight, she pleads for mercy. When granted a fraction of her request, The wolves feast upon it, Yet she holds onto hope, Believing more will come. As a child, I question my existence. Darkness triumphs where light should dwell. Hunger greets me in a place of nourishment. I know I have a mother - A once-glowing soul, now faded. And when fortune smiles upon her, She drifts away, singing: "Bobonabo...bo..." © Gabriel S. Weah Liberia

Gloria Magallanes-Loeb "UNCERTAINTY" The blood moon, eerie yet with a mystic glow Shrouded in shadows above a celestial show Depicting many tat of sorrow and pain What can humanity refute, see and gain? Let the red embers flicker in purest form Aware of chaos, revolt, destruction norms Behold, the nimbus color of deepest red Showing a picturesque scenery that led What did the blood moon try to tell? Like a breeze swaying off leaves that fell On an extraordinary spring night awaiting awe A moment facing your destiny with a gasp, ahh... Looking above the crimson skies of dread Braving fogginess wraps around your head Reflecting our life's journey of dreams Drift along in darkness crossing a stream Awash your fears, burdens in mind flow Dear blood moon, are you my friend or foe? © Gloria Magallanes-Loeb "TRIBUTE TO WOMAN'S DAY" She awakens at early dawn from the corners of stillness Ready to spring forward to take on challenges of daily life A strength she has developed within her deepest core Let no one break her into pieces for she's solid like stone Her existence in the lives of others is true resilience Rising above like a mother eagle over the mountains All her failures, are now signs of intelligence Emerging like a lotus flower that floats above mud © Gloria Magallanes-Loeb USA

The poet, as the life force, what fuels their muse, and the inspiration of their poems. "WHY I WRITE?" They say You are different How am I different, I have not a clue Pain comes to everyone born as a woman How we look at things, the nature of it all Our survival depends Yes, I am different, I am distinctive I am fire, I am water, I am heart Everything is woven into one I carry Words that are fierce and pierce your heart Subdued and benumbed into a sea of seahorses Do not define, by what you see or by what you hear Stories are brought by breeze, gone by the wind Rather you see me as me You accept me as me A scroll writer from the ancient Anubis Now scattered to earth by Brahma Then will you know whether I'm poles apart. © SHEILA ANN PACKIRNATHAN Malaysia ****** THE RED ROSE Like green leaves we live in prime spring, the nightingales in boughs often sing, I saw a rose blooming in March, With a smile, my heart wishes to catch, Young, beautiful, active in a red dress, I know her name has a great bless! Eyes are dancers an messengers, She is as a queen among the flowers, With inflaming glances, she has bright beam, As a piper in a soft poppy dream I whisper. priestly words in tranquil tempest, The bee sat proudly on her breast, I sent my sighs to carry the bee away, Fears, tears, groans with me in a way, Like a diamond, full of purity Smile is the mark of her beauty. Her light is a sweet harbinger of love Cherry lips, whiter than lily dove. A heart is a temple of delight, A face is a perfumed light, Her eyes and lips, a passionate anthem To my temple, the smile is the open sesame. Tunes are quiet with the tossing grass, The longest lie I have with a blushing lass. Blissful union with her sweet spirit, Splendor, melody, and little sunlit Shake a shoulder, my eyes fast shine, I evince the sore story with the line. Like a shadow, dreams are fast done, I feel sad when the rose is gone! © AHMED YASIR DHAIN Iraq ****** CONSUMING PASSION OF A POET When the fervor was restricted to an unnamed flow When the imprisoned soul lost its way in a world of sorrows, When an ardent love didn't find its heartfelt soul, When a fiercely energetic aura got lost in an apathetic air, When a melodramatic intensity was chained by a phlegmatic being, That lost emotion became a poet in me! When an amorous strength became cold, When a hot-blooded stamina was cursed by a passionless person, When an aroused love became steamy, When sensual lines turned into sizzling eagerness, When a torrid drama couldn't withstand the zealous Wave during melodrama, That mercurial soul became a poet in me!! ©SONAL RAO India ****** I AM POETRY Where would you find me? In the vagaries of love, Or the vicissitudes of war, Or, all that which lies in between? The rising of the sun, And the setting of the moon And all those moments that lie in between? In the waking of the consciousness, and the lulling into sleep, And all those junctures that fall in between? The harshness of reality The gossamer of dreams And all that matter, which lies in between? The exactitude of words, And the cloudiness of thoughts, And all the bits of psyche that lie in between? The euphoria of arrivals, And the anguish of departures, And all those emotions that lie in between. ©SHWETA SAHAI India ****** Our muse fans the flame, If ink runs dry today, We shall write with our blood. © USMAN ABDULKARIM Nigeria ****** BRIDGE OF WORDS Between the shores of difference, Where conflict's waters churn, A bridge of verse extends its planks For those who wish to learn. Each stanza forms a steppingstone Across the troubled tide, Each metaphor a handrail firm To guide us side by side. In rhythm's gentle constancy We find a common beat, Where enemies might pause to hear Their mirrored hearts compete. For poetry speaks languages That borders cannot claim, It weaves through walls and barricades With whispers soft as rain. Through sonnets, ghazals, haiku, psalms - Our shared humanity Flows free of doctrine, creed, or land In pure simplicity. So let us build with careful words These bridges, arch by arch, That strangers might become as friends As toward each other march. For peace is not the absence of Our differences displayed, But rather how we honor them In verses newly made. © CONCETTA PIPIA U.S. ****** Beloved Bard On this day let verses rise high like dawn-lit, that hue in the skies. Let your ink traverse both mountain and valley. Let words soar like a kite, like raindrop sprinkles. Let the whispers echo in the jungle of soul. Let it find time and place in sorrow or delight. Let inks sail across, across the sea of life. Let its rhyme relive pain. Let its rhythm awake, numb. © NYOK M. MARENG Sudan ****** A POET'S QUILL My quill writes as my mind thinks Words come into focus as it goes Dictating ideas, thoughts, quotes Expanding the scope of daily life Experiences we've dealt nonstop A shooting, crash, birth, war, death A yo-yo effect that grips us all Into a paradox scheme in writing Embracing truth and compassion My quill depicts the emotion of love How it affects human nature relationships The connection between family and loved ones Interactions among people we barely know Those we work every day at a busy place Familiar faces on the bus transit or subway My quill moves towards our Mother Nature The beautiful and majestic sun and flowers Celestial heavenly bodies and oceanic waters Thunderous skies, pitter patter of raindrops Hailstorms, winter snow pileups along the roads Atmospheric deluge, tornadoes, earthquakes My quill continues to extend to wildfires Destroying acres of land, habitat sanctuaries Creatures big and small go extinct, dying Affecting our environment and ecosystem Global warming is a real problem some say, a hoax It is an essential element of our life, here on earth. The power of my imagination can go furthermore As my quill will never rest upon events, stories told Being a poet, sharing, inspiring everyone to read our work. © GLORIA MAGALLANES-LOEB U.S. ****** MY PEN SPEAKS POETRY My pen speaks poetry Words of deep passion and feelings Confessions and goals It is an unburdening Of my heart, mind and soul To write out all my frustrations Express the beauty I see everyday My pen speaks poetry In its own special way. © DONNA McCABE UK