desert crossroads
nowhere
in all directions

all the miles
walked for freedom

one step over
the border
looking at

ten-to-twenty

canyon fault lines
weighing the logic
of every what-if

—Published previously on Facebook as follows: “desert crossroads” (senryu, 7 August 2019), “all the miles” (cherita, 4 July 2019), and “canyon fault lines” (senryu, 23 August 2019); poems appear here with author’s permission.

Peter Jastermsky

is an award-winning cherita poet and a Dwarf Star Award nominee. He writes short-form works, with a focus on haiku, senryu, haibun, and cherita. His writing has appeared in numerous print and online journals and anthologies, including Failed Haiku, Haibun Today, KYSO Flash, The Aurorean, and The Cherita; and his work has been translated into Chinese, German, and Italian. He is the author of two books: a collection of haiku and senryu, Steel Cut Moon (Cholla Needles Press, 2019), and a chapbook of haibun, No Velcro Here (Yavanika Press, 2019).

Peter is a licensed clinical social worker who’s worked as a counselor in a variety of settings for more than 30 years. Born in Connecticut, he lived in Philadelphia for many years before relocating to Southern California, where he now lives with his family in the high desert.

More on the Web: By, About, and Beyond

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