Bear Island Lake

wooden dock
her toes skim the water—
a lone wolf howls.

gazing at the stars
wishing he was here

the sound of crunching leaves—
a shadow
approaches from the trees

is it a gift?
Or am I dreaming?

black wolf
eyes glowing
as he walks

approaching slowly
I am not alone

by Alazarin Salmi & TJ Griffin

The Home run

batter up
at the chain-linked fence
Dad’s smile

the ball hits the glove
strike one

he looks over his shoulder
a reassuring nod from his dad
deep exhale

back into the box
he digs in his cleats

a high fly ball
the crowd holds their breath
it sails over the fence

running the bases
Dad’s proud eyes

by Samantha, Heather & Betty

Serendipity

down on one knee
the woman gasps . . .
he ties his shoe

nervous laughter
the date is over.

Next day
my dreams . . .
are coming true

dimly-lit bar
beer sticky on my shoe

one. . .
two. . .
too many

the big day
I do!

by Alazarin Salmi & TJ Griffin

Last Date

emerald eyes piercing—
she sips red wine
from a long-stemmed glass

he stares
waiting for her to speak

trying not to make a scene
she carefully
chooses her words

fidgeting in his seat
he dreads what’s to come

shoulders back
voice stern
she confronts his betrayal

clear as her empty glass
it is over

by Samantha, Heather & Betty
note: hokku by Alizarin Salmi, Kukai 3

Smeared Mascara

my mother's old gown
I take it on my journey
down the aisle

striding through
a flood of rose petals

tears being shed
friends and family
lined up in the pews

mother grabs a tissue
wiping her
mascara

a sparkle in the eye
of my soon to be husband

kissing—
the man who
changed my name and heart

a rengay by
Emily Mihalkanin and Hannah Mahr

Paradise in our Sleep

ocean's lullaby
gentle waves
caressing the shoreline

a sand crab
furiously digging

off the pier
two fisherman
reel in a catch

children laughing,
creating their
dream castles

family of dolphins
splash in the surf

salt in our hair
sand in our suits
if only it wasn’t a dream

a rengay by
Emily Mihalkanin and Hannah Mahr

Star-Crossed Lovers

strong hands
and soft lips
melting my heart away

my popsicle drips
onto the concrete

hard pavements
stick to the
bottom of our feet

we can’t be separated
in the blink of an eye
headed toward to the horizon

the magenta sun
blocking the way

hallucinations
of lost hope
awakened from this lucid dream

by Uriah Walker and Kailey Hurst

Fairy Tails

daydreaming
I tie my legs together
I am Ariel

brushing my pet
dinglehopper

the dishwasher load
with only one item
mom is not happy

flipping his fins
not getting too far
Flounder gulps his flakes

and just like that
the strike of the trident

fun ending
bath time
is over

by Uriah Walker and Kailey Hurst