snowball fight
grandpa shields his granddaughter
with an umbrella
bitwa na śnieżki
dziadek osłania wnuczkę
parasolem
snowball fight
grandpa shields his granddaughter
with an umbrella
bitwa na śnieżki
dziadek osłania wnuczkę
parasolem
spots of sunlight
on the mossy jetty
smell of calamus
a tiny garden
over the neighbor's fence
clematis in bloom
yellowed leaves
in a rainwater barrel
a toy boat
carnival show
sparks from flaming torches
hiss in the snow
Samobor Almanac issue 32, April 2025; editors Zvonko Jurčević , Tomislav Maretić, and Jadranka Brnčić; translation into Croatian: Tomislav Maretić
The first English-language anthology edited by me (together with Robert Kania): The fourth Haiku Foundation Volunteer Anthology - Kick the Clouds
EDITOR’S PREFACE
Growing up is a unique journey — one moment you’re a carefree child, and before you know it, you’ve stepped into adulthood. We've all experienced this transition, which brings both joy and nostalgia.
Robert and I believed that the theme of "back to childhood" might encourage our authors to open up and share their vulnerabilities. We were optimistic that this would resonate well and allow the poets to express themselves freely, and thankfully, it did! The nearly 100 poems in this collection showcase a wonderful variety of experiences — some joyful, some melancholic, and some a bit painful — and beautifully capture memories of people, places, objects, smells, and tastes in all their richness. We had a great time reading each poem, and we're truly grateful for the trust placed in us.
The theme is perfectly tied to the volume’s title, inspired by a lovely line from Adelaide B. Shaw’s haiku: "kick the clouds."
Let’s take a moment to enjoy this shared journey into our childhood memories.
We sincerely thank Theresa A. Cancro and Robin Smith for their dedication and support, along with all the volunteers who made this anthology possible.
— Marta Chocilowska & Robert Kania
THF Volunteer Anthology Editors
kick the clouds, The Haiku Foundation, Winchester, VA, 2025.
Sunday picnickers
mother duck drives ducklings
into the reeds
piknikowicze
kacza mama zagania
kaczęta w trzciny
Flying Fish Haiku Journal, Issue 2, July, 2025
Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog Daily Haiku Special Oct. 24, 2025
white and white
a nun picks flowers
of black elder
biało i biało
mniszka zrywa baldachy
czarnego bzu
where to?
at every crossroads
smell of lilac
dokąd?
na każdym skrzyżowaniu
zapach bzu
Turning Japanese #16 – Crossroads edited by Tim Gardiner, May , 2025
foehn wind
the sound of rushing water
in the mountains
an age-old home
the cypress in the yard
in its prime
Easter Eve
at the Holy Sepulcher
all-night vigil
on a bench
an old woman smiles
at hydrangeas
irises
the blue on both sides
of the fence
gusts of wind
as if they had wings
maple seeds
Haiku Almanac Ludbreg 2025
on thin ice
one raven is having fun
one is a viewer
薄氷に 戯る鴉 見る鴉
na cienkim lodzie
jeden kruk się zabawia
drugi jest widzem
ESUJ-H April, 2025
(The English-Speaking Union of Japan-Haiku Programme)
ice rink lights
reflected on the skateblades
myriad of stars
lumini de patinoar
reflectate pe lamele patinelor
miriade de stele
światła ślizgawki
odbite w ostrzach łyżew
miriady gwiazd
Enchanted Garden, Issue 10: Luminaria, December 2024;
Nominated to Touchstone Award 2024;
Charlotte Digregorio's Writer's Blog Haiku: Feb. 5, 2024