heatwave
a mannequin posing
in her bathing suit

—Keiko Izawa,Japan

mercury rising
an atlas moth lands
on my paper fan

—Jahnavi Gogoi, Canada

dog days
the perennial river
crawls to a halt

—Geethanjali Rajan, India

heatwave —
call of landing gulls
ride the breeze

—Sheikha A., United Arab Emirates

summer heat
my grandsons and I build
a sandcastle

—Nancy Brady, US

taste of salt—
the light melodies
of summer waves

—Paul Callus, Malta

heatwave
a lobster waits
the incoming tide

—Steliana Cristina Voicu, Romania

a sign warns
of drowning risk
dry lakebed

—Louise Hopewell, Australia

About

Keiko Izawa lives on a hilltop in Yokohama, Japan with her husband and two cats. She enjoys watching foreign ships come in and out of port.

Jahnavi Gogoi is an Ontario based poet and writer. She dabbles in Japanese forms of poetry and identifies as a storyteller.

Geethanjali Rajan teaches Japanese and English in Chennai. She is the author of a book of haikai forms, longing for sun longing for rain (2023) and the coauthor (with Sonam Chhoki) of Unexpected Gift (2021). She edits haiku at cattails and at Café Haiku.

Sheikha A. is a Pushcart and Rhysling nominee from Pakistan and United Arab Emirates. Her poetry appears in a variety of literary venues and has been translated into 11 languages so far. More about her can be found at sheikha82.wordpress.com

Nancy Brady is a pharmacist by vocation and a haiku poet by avocation. Now retired, she volunteers her time at a nature preserve and working part-time at her local Board of Elections.

Paul Callus is a retired teacher who lives in Malta, Europe. He has been active in the literary field for around 50 years. He writes poetry, short stories, and lyrics for songs, mostly in English, Maltese, and Italian.

Steliana Cristina Voicu is a Romanian poet and writer in a variety of genres. She has published haiku, haiga, tanka, poetry, and short prose in more than 40 periodicals and anthologies. A Touchstone Award–nominated poet. She is the founder and editor of the online Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal.

Louise Hopewell is an Australian poet and playwright based in Naarm/Melbourne. When not writing, Louise can be found riding her bicycle or playing ukulele.

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