{"id":1499,"date":"2026-08-01T19:31:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/?p=1499"},"modified":"2026-08-01T19:50:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:20:45","slug":"page-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/page-11\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">afternoon siesta<br>the welcome sound<br>of rolling thunder<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Christina Chin, Malaysia<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:81px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-524f8de7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">firefly\u2019s kirameku<br>kittens\u2019 paw prints<br>on terracotta veranda<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6bd3ba44e8bd11941f1ba8129ed46333 wp-block-paragraph\"><sup>Kirameku (Japanese): Sparkle<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Saad Ali, The UK &amp; Pakistan<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:78px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2b4002ad wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-524f8de7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">monsoon arrives\u2014<br>fading the blue<br>chalk-drawn hopscotch<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Neena Singh, India<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:86px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-df7bfe9b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">sudden shower<br>frangipani flowers<br>fill the birdbath<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Neena Singh, India<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-524f8de7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">cloudburst. . .<br>drum tones shape<br>the forest canopy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Ben Oliver, England<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:99px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-right is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2b4002ad wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">beech tree canopy<br>the rain<br>that doesn\u2019t reach me<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Ruth Holzer, USA<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:82px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-df7bfe9b wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">evening chinwag<br>on the thick bough<br>frangipani fragrance<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Christina Chin, Malaysia<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:93px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-524f8de7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">strawberry moon<br>each window freckled<br>with rain showers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em><sub>\u2014Joanna Ashwell, UK<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:88px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9af08085c9f58fe358c08ceb52ef11c6 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\">About<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-27c7e573daecc9d527b1c6f2755ce0bb wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Christina Chin<\/strong> is a painter and haiku poet recognised for her work in haiku, haiga and related poetic forms that integrate poetry with painting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3cbae8d6f86fef256931279cb645506e wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Saad Ali<\/strong> is a poet-philosopher, literary translator, and author from the UK and Pakistan. His work has been nominated for: Best of the Net, Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fictions. His ekphrases have been showcased at art exhibitions in Alberta (Canada), Queensland (Australia), and Seattle (USA). Visit him at: <a href=\"https:\/\/linktr.ee\/owlofpines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/linktr.ee\/owlofpines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-821e4e2c0cab074750046acf0a0d0392 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Neena Singh<\/strong> is a Touchstone shortlisted poet &amp; Editor who loves penning Japanese short forms of poetry as also haibun, tanka prose, haiga &amp; rengay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-056f868b753abbae2df62e9d31deffb5 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Ben Oliver<\/strong> grew up on (and in) the River Thames, where he developed a deep affinity with nature. Having studied Biology, he works at Westonbirt National Arboretum, helping people engage with the majesty of trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-432baf6a4d94712838ec6a0f4e6ed392 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Ruth Holzer&#8217;s<\/strong> haiku, tanka and haibun have appeared in many journals and anthologies. She lives in Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-light-gray-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2513832416bf5974c71943579b622f98 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:15px\"><strong>Joanna Ashwell<\/strong> is a short-form poetry writer from the UK.&nbsp; She has been honoured in several competitions and was short-listed for a Touchstone individual poem in 2020 and for haibun in 2025.&nbsp; She is widely published in both print and online journals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-gray-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-d60f84dca086eef439bbea663f815f9c wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"background-color:#caa0db2b\">\u2190 <a href=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/31\/page-10\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/?p=1453&amp;preview=true\">Previous<\/a>\u2003|\u2003<a href=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/issue-2\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/?page_id=1651&amp;preview=true\">Back to Issue<\/a>\u2003|\u2003<a href=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/page-12\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/?p=1456&amp;preview=true\">Next \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>afternoon siestathe welcome soundof rolling thunder \u2014Christina Chin, Malaysia firefly\u2019s kiramekukittens\u2019 paw printson terracotta veranda Kirameku (Japanese): Sparkle \u2014Saad Ali, The UK &amp; Pakistan monsoon arrives\u2014fading the bluechalk-drawn hopscotch \u2014Neena Singh, India sudden showerfrangipani flowersfill the birdbath \u2014Neena Singh, India cloudburst. . .drum tones shapethe forest canopy \u2014Ben Oliver, England beech tree canopythe rainthat doesn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-issue-02","post-preview"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>- as words fly<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/page-11\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"- as words fly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"afternoon siestathe welcome soundof rolling thunder \u2014Christina Chin, Malaysia firefly\u2019s kiramekukittens\u2019 paw printson terracotta veranda Kirameku (Japanese): Sparkle \u2014Saad Ali, The UK &amp; Pakistan monsoon arrives\u2014fading the bluechalk-drawn hopscotch \u2014Neena Singh, India sudden showerfrangipani flowersfill the birdbath \u2014Neena Singh, India cloudburst. . .drum tones shapethe forest canopy \u2014Ben Oliver, England beech tree canopythe rainthat doesn\u2019t [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/page-11\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"as words fly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-01T14:01:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-01T14:20:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"aswordsfly.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"aswordsfly.com\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"aswordsfly.com\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3b36d53dfd33667c8dbcd98be0510ff7\"},\"headline\":\"No title\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-01T14:01:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-01T14:20:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":283,\"commentCount\":0,\"articleSection\":[\"issue-02\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/\",\"name\":\"- as words fly\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-01T14:01:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-01T14:20:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3b36d53dfd33667c8dbcd98be0510ff7\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/01\\\/page-11\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"as words fly\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3b36d53dfd33667c8dbcd98be0510ff7\",\"name\":\"aswordsfly.com\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/cropped-IMG_20211125_133210_619-96x96.jpg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/cropped-IMG_20211125_133210_619-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/cropped-IMG_20211125_133210_619-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"aswordsfly.com\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aswordsfly.com\\\/index.php\\\/author\\\/aswordsfly-com\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"- as words fly","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/aswordsfly.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/01\/page-11\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"- as words fly","og_description":"afternoon siestathe welcome soundof rolling thunder \u2014Christina Chin, Malaysia firefly\u2019s kiramekukittens\u2019 paw printson terracotta veranda Kirameku (Japanese): Sparkle \u2014Saad Ali, The UK &amp; 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