playground
within
the
rolling
leaves
a
hollow
Author: martin gottlieb cohen
Martin Cohen was born in the South Bronx somewhere on Simpson Street, went to a Yeshiva on East Broadway and Canal Street, and then lived in the South of Brooklyn, the South of Long Island, The Southern Tier of Upstate New York, The South of Manhattan, and finally South Jersey in Egg Harbor.
sleepless
above this heat
the night sky
In the sound of the prairie marbled Godwit
Reminiscences
I just finished work on the night shift and went topside to get fresh air. No one was on deck, and I could see the Destroyer’s trail of smoke above the glass
within the stillness rat’s ripples
( Originally published in Poetry Super Highway, December 2022)
winter trees
only the sound
of a crow
(Originally published in EarthRise Rolling Haiku Collaboration, 2018)
chrysanthemum
the
slowness
of
dusk
humpback moon
into the krill’s silence
distant song
faint stars
the sidewalk stains
of wild mulberries
noon sunlight
in the shower’s rhythm
white chrysanthemum
(Originally published in The Mainichi Haiku in English
November 4, 2014)
pond strider the silence of Cassiopeia
(Originally in Autumn Moon Haiku Journal 2:2, Spring/Summer 2019)
Abu Dhabi
above the falcon’s cry
dawn
ground swell
the day moon draws closer
Kesennuma
among the sunlit wrecks
the sound of gulls
this slum with a moon in every puddle
across the blue dome of the great basin mustang’s eye
shadows fold within shadows of the rose
footprints
the prairie dog stretches
its shadow
Pelham Parkway
between the winter trees
the child’s breath
prayer candle
shadows pass through
each other
lit fish stall
open mouths darken
in the night
October chill
the silence in this shadow
salt marsh
sunlight flecks the egret
night traffic
the smell of seaweed wafts
above the pier
day moon
the night stays in the lake
lake crossing
dusk lingers in the ice
wet snow
a crow follows
the road
dawn—
the bow rises
with the dolphin
late autumn frost
the bench gathers moonlight
wall calendar
O’Keeffe’s moonflower droops
out of the page
November rain
buzzards drip from the water tower
October night
dead leaves rush towards me
autumn chill
the earth’s shadow moves
up the chimney
autumn night
the smell of summer in a broken twig
Trinity Churchyard
worms in the flesh of a crabapple
night tide
the attic in its mirror
mountain lake
the night air fills the loon’s call
diving Grebe
the glint floats on the water
night sky
a swimmer passes
under the bridge
sidewalk shadows
the bee between sunlight and the daisy
shimmering grass
the silhouette of an egret
cricket’s song
the smell of magnolias
in the night sky
wetland shore
the maple ripples
with the sky
Earthrise
the gold visor reflects
Orion
tossed stone
the pond’s sound skips
through the trees
moonlit floor
the scent of sumac wafts
through the shadows
river sunlight
the smell of tugboats
and blossoms
marsh lightning
the tree’s blossoms open
into egrets
kitchen floor
the nightlight reddens
the mouse’s ears
snow brighter than the day moon between the caribou
breaking wave
winter sunlight curls
into itself
silence
snowflakes melt on the window
wetland chill
a patch of ripples disappears
Monument Valley
The long shadow of the prairie dog
desert lightning
the rattlesnake between the rocks
marsh wren’s cry
the sun ripples onto the mud
morning traffic
the sun reflects
off the wildflowers
spring puddle
the maple leaf ripples
in the sunlight
the mountain top dimples under the strider’s leg
morning sunlight
the sound of rain on the marsh
the red horizon in puddles
darkened street
moonless night–
the smell of the pond
in the bull frog’s cry
spring thaw
the crow pecks at its shadow
closed snow street
sunlight stops at the house windows
snow-viewing
the raven tumbles
down the hill
afternoon class
a corner darkens
near the sunlight
leaping salmon
sunlight falls to the rocks
autumn night
my breath passes through the porch screen
morning haze
mosquitoes rise from the lake
wildflowers
the sun rises on a thousand droplets
scale cloud
sunlight deepens the stone Buddha
Marathon
a full moon in every puddle
mist
the heron balanced on its reflection
sea breeze
the light green of a plum blossom
cold spring night
a line of distant fires
above the dune
cloudburst
flecks of sun on a thorn bush
winter surf
seagrass bristle on the dune
tree ice
sunlight inches down the bedroom chair
autumn rain . . .
a leaf has curled
into its shadow
clouded night
faint stars surface in the bow wave
leaf
mites and a grasshopper step on each other
an old house
near the cemetery
wild flowers
playground
after the rain–
the sound of traffic
sunlight
a sparrow crosses the river
to Brooklyn
a curled ant
on microfiche ~
tiny words
old photo
my father as a child
looks past me
new snow
my footprints fill
with shadows
sunset–
the beach fence darkens
near the moon
winter surf
a dog smells distant places
on other dogs
new year’s eve-
the party’s noisemakers
in the rest room
winter the shadows of a crow on a tree
naval station
the clanging of rope
on the pole
Brooklyn Navy Yard
the sounds from a playground
across the river
water strider
on a trembling moon-
distant voices
tower-
the spread of hawk’s wings
in the sun
methane breeze
rising from the dump
wild blue bells
snow storm —
the spray covering
the jetty
a spider’s thread
between the eave and door —
morning sunlight
dusk —
the light goes out
with the tide
new year’s eve-
black ice and wood smoke
near the bus stop
fifty buzzards
off the water tower
winter trees
fall sunrise
the shadows of leaves
follow the wind
Pine Barrens
a blackbird chasing
its shadow
black clouds
water falling
through rocks
the Loch Ness
a patch of sunlight
deepens it
spray
from a sea wall
rainbow
paper prayer-
the resting legs of a fly
on its proboscis
summer sun-
the honking of snow geese
on the tundra
wire fence
the smell of coal dust
from the barge
spring afternoon
the sound of gears and sails
from the windmill
coney island light
a kewpie doll in the sand
just before sunrise
ferris wheel
it rolls to the edge
of the night
daisy–
its flower opens
to the sun
lighthouse
in the sea breeze
faint stars
ferry steamer
a token in the mouth
of the river
icicle
dripping from the eave
to the sill
artic wind
along the blue ice
snow eddies
winternoon
red buildings brighten
the sidewalk
casino
its light fades away
in the dawn
the wood smoke
rises unnoticed
winter light