By Christina Chin and Jerome Berglund

a failed signal
to uncaring gods
the forsaken
sky burial’s
pallbearers

***

delirious—
shadow talks
with rotting coconuts
leading
the witness

***

stick draws HELP
the sand heals
before sunrise
chasing with
sweetened tea

***

parrot’s scream—
I teach it
mother’s name
two queens on
a chessboard

***

a rescue ship’s silhouette
I forget how
to wave
on time is fifteen
minutes late

###

Jerome Berglund has worked as everything from dishwasher to paralegal, night watchman to assembler of heart valves. Many haiku, haiga, and haibun he’s written online and in print, most recently in Bottle Rockets, Frogpond, Kingfisher, and Presence. His first full-length collections of poetry were released by Setu, Meat For Tea, Mōtus Audāx press, and a mixed media chapbook showcasing his fine art photography is available now from Fevers of the Mind.

Christina Chin is a painter and haiku poet. She is a four-time recipient of top 100 in the mDAC Summit Contests, exhibited at the Palo Alto Art Center, California. 1st prize winner of the 34th Annual Cherry Blossom Sakura Festival Haiku Contest. 1st prize winner in the 8th Setouchi Matsuyama Photo Haiku Contest. She has been published in numerous journals, multilingual journals, and anthologies, including Japan’s prestigious Haikukai Magazine.