Halcyon Days - Issue 20

Halcyon Days—Issue 20
Founder, Monique Berry | Hamilton On Canada
CONTRIBUTORS
Bruce Levine
12 Cold
13 A Bleak November Day
19 End of the Year
Charlene Langfur
16 The Impermanence of Happiness
Emory D. Jones
14 Tin Roof
15 When Cold Winds Blow
Gaiyle J. Connolly
6 Winter Picnic Remembered
7 Winter Skiing 1
9 Christmas Fragrance
Jane Brigati
4 Fire Island
5 Meditation
Monique Berry
17 Scripted Memories
Nolo Segundo
8 My Grandmother’s Day
10 A Cold Haiku Quartet
11 December’s Tale
18 A Child’s Christmas Carol
Bruce Levine
Pg 12, 13, 19
Emory D. Jones
Pg 14
Jane Brigati
Pg 4, 5
Charlene Langfur
Pg 16
Gaiyle Connolly
Pg 6, 7, 9
Monique Berry
Pg 17
Cover peter chen/EyeEm; inside marinavorona—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days Magazine
ISSN: 2291-0255
Frequency: Quarterly
Publisher | Designer: Monique Berry
Contact Info
http://halcyondaysmagazine.blogspot.ca
Twitter: @1websurfer
monique.editor@gmail.com
Special Notices
Halcyon Days has one time rights.
See website for subscription details.
No photocopies allowed.

Contributor Bios
Halcyon Days—Issue 20
Bruce Levine, a 2019 Pushcart Prize Poetry Nominee, has spent his life as a writer of fiction and poetry and as a
music and theatre professional. Over three hundred of his works are published in over twenty-five on-line journals
including Ariel Chart, Friday Flash Fiction, Literary Yard; over thirty print books including Poetry Quarterly, Haiku
Journal, Dual Coast Magazine, Tipton Poetry Journal, and his shows have been produced in New York and around
the country. Six eBooks are available from Amazon.com. His work is dedicated to the loving memory of his late wife,
Lydia Franklin. A native Manhattanite, Bruce lives in New York with his dog, Gabi. Visit him
at www.brucelevine.com.
Charlene Langfur is a southern Californian, an organic gardener, a Syracuse University Graduate Writing Fellow and
my recent publications include poems in Weber: The Contemporary West, Emrys, Inlandia, The North Dakota
Quarterly.
Dr. Emory D. Jones is a retired English teacher who has taught in high schools and various community colleges. He
has four hundred and eight credits including publication in such journals as Voices International, The White Rock
Review, Free Xpressions Magazine, The Storyteller, Modern Poetry Quarterly Review, Gravel, Pasques Petals, The
Pink Chameleon, and Encore: Journal of the NFSPS. He is retired and lives in Iuka, Mississippi, with his wife,
Glenda. He has two daughters and four grandchildren.
Gaiyle J. Connolly, a poet and artist from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, has numerous publications to her credit, some
of them prize-winning. They appear in local and international periodicals and journals. Her collection of poetry,
Lifelines, which she also illustrated, was published in 2015. Her background of several ethnicities, love of art and
travel and devotion to social justice are reflected in her work. Her readership includes Canada, the United States,
Mexico and India. She is Past President of the Tower Poetry Society in Hamilton and has been active in poetry groups
in Mexico. She is at the moment working on her second book of poetry for which once again she will provide
illustrations. As a change of pace, she is trying her hand at short story writing inspired by her childhood years spent in
rural Quebec.
Jane Briganti lives and works in New York City. Her poetry has been frequently published by Creations Magazine
and has appeared in journals including WestWard Quarterly, Better Than Starbucks, Spillwords and Leaves of Ink.
She believes poetry is the soul's way of communicating with itself.
Monique Berry lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She is the founder of Halcyon Days and Founder’s Favourites,
and is working on a book of inanimate object 1st-person povs based on her previous magazine Perspectives.
Nolo Segundo is the pen name of a retired teacher, 73, who chose it for the way it rolls off the tongue. Though he wrote
some poetry in his 20's as well as an unpublished novel inspired by the time he taught ESL in Phnom-Penh in 1973-74
(leaving a year before the time of the Killing Fields), for some reason he stopped writing altogether for over 30 years. For
an equally obscure reason, 'they', the poems, began arriving in his conscious mind about 5 years ago. Since then he's had
over 50 published online/in print by literary magazines in the U.S. Britain, and even one in India. Married for 40 years, the
only other interesting aspect to his life besides his years teaching, including 3 years in the Far East, was an NDE he had at
24 whilst almost drowning in a Vermont river that shattered his former materialist world view [as in believing only matter
is real]. For 1/2 a century he has known that beneath his conscious mind and its counterpart, the unconscious, lies an
endless, eternal consciousness that has always existed, and that what we call the world, the Universe, is permeated by a far
greater and largely unknowable Mystery.'

Fire Island
By Jane Briganti
Walking toward the light
on a February day
through the sands
of Fire Island
waves crashing
cold breezes blowing
the air is fresh
revitalizing
the infinite ocean
seen in the distance
miles of coastline
powdered sand
scattered footprints
the Atlantic awaits
meditation in motion
Aleksandr Derzhavin—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 4

Meditation
By Jane Briganti
People, animals
flowers and trees
all created equal
existing to grow, to be
see them, hear them, feel them
gently close your eyes
just sit still
there's no need to travel
breathe deeply in and out
rest your body
leave your worries behind
escape for just for a while
listen to your heart's rhythm
hear the melody of your inner song
quiet meditation just for you
clear your mind
heal your spirit
awaken your soul
unlock power you never imagined
discover who you are
what you really need
find yourself in life's abyss
meditate
and fill your heart
with eternal bliss
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 5
delbars—stock.adobe.com

Winter Picnic Remembered
By Gaiyle J. Connolly
trees leafless
not lifeless
like vertical blinds
white and greyed
through them I glimpse
memories near gone
the road ploughed
return to the lake
where we dove and swam
all summer
now locale for winter picnics
steam rises from
the open thermos
of hot chocolate
skate instead of swim
ice crunches
smell the cold
delight in numbness
so long ago yet
I recall it all
with heart’s clarity
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 6
WoodHunt—stock.adobe.com

Winter Skiing 1
By Gaiyle J. Connolly
we were young and strong
fifteen runs fifteen below
winter skiing time
later
huddled in blankets
we drank coffee with cognac
such warm memories
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 7
dusk—stock.adobe.com

In My Grandmother’s Day
By Nolo Segundo
Nana told me once
How she and Pop-pop
Went courting in a
Horse and buggy.
How quaint I thought,
And was a just a bit
Amazed how far we
Humans have gone—
From a smelly plodding
Horse to crossing a vast
Ocean in an afternoon
While six miles high.
Then Grandma told me
Something shocking:
She said they went out
In that carriage to make
Love! Nana! I gasped to
Myself, until I saw she
Meant the words literally.
My grandparents went
Courting to make the
Love that would hold
Them together for
Sixty-three years…
And I am here
Because two young
People took long
Buggy rides behind a
Tired, smelly horse.
David Arment—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 8

Christmas Fragrance
By Gaiyle J. Connolly
2 Bay leaves
2 Cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp each of Whole Allspice,
Whole Cloves, Caraway Seeds
In pioneer homes the fragrance
of spices simmering in a pot on
the open hearth ushered in the
Christmas season. To enjoy the
nostalgic fragrances of
Christmas, place the above
contents in 4 cups of briskly
boiling water. Boil uncovered
for 5 to 10 minutes, then allow
mixture to simmer as long as
desired. Add water as
necessary. May be refrigerated
and re-used. Multiples could be
made and placed in a
festive box or bag as a small
Christmas gift.
lidante—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 9

A Cold Haiku Quartet
By Nolo Segundo
two hearts’ discontent
frozen ponds near naked trees
strike harder, cold wind!
desolate bleakness
why is the soft bird singing
in the warm center?
a birth premature
the lake is melting early
his hand touches hers
two met, instant of warmth
love’s chance in winter come spring
defiance of time
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 10
Subbotina Anna—stock.adobe.com

December's Tale
By Nolo Segundo
It is the turning month,
The time when life sleeps
And our dreams shiver…
When night grows
Bolder, darker, colder,
And daylight seems so
Weak, slight, bending.
But the air that rushes
Into your lungs like a
Horde of ice-dripped
Savages sears souls
Into fully awakening
From summer's trance,
And so we feel more
Alive in December's
Desolation than any
Other time of the year.
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 10
isamu—stock.adobe.com

Cold
By Bruce Levine
Cold
Icicle cold
The frigid cold of
Mid-winter
Biting winds
That slice through
Mid-February
And cut through
The viscera
Leaving scars
To heal next summer
Warmed by the sun
And cooled by the wind
But for now
The bone chilling
Cold
That freezes the senses
As it freezes the lakes
A single dimension
In a forest of feelings
Reduced by the thermostat
Into one singular syllable
Cold
standret —stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2019 Issue 20 | 5

A Bleak November Day
by Bruce Levine
A bleak November day
Shades of clouds drawn
Tightly to the sill
Forests of pine trees shiver
As snowflakes hover overhead
Song birds huddle in nests high aloft
Hunkering down against the cold
Too soon for winter and yet a dampening chill
Envelopes the landscape
In gray that permeates everything
Except the hope of tomorrow
That brightens the sky
To drive a bleak November day
Into another forgotten memory
Halcyon Days - 2019 Issue 20 | 5
Dreef—stock.adobe.com

Tin Roof: An Etheree
By Emory D. Jones
Moon
Shining
Like silver
On cabin roof.
It is like liquid
Ice and clear as water
You are snug and warm inside;
Your fire burning in your fireplace
Feels good when the rain drums you to sleep
And you are so thankful for the tin roof.
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 14
R. Erler—stock.adobe.com

When Cold Winds Blow
By Emory D. Jones
When cold winds blow in wintertime
And they creep under the door
And around my windows,
I shiver and often get rigors.
These old bones
Cannot take much cold.
Then I snuggle down in bed
Under thick covers
And dream of golden beaches
And warm summer sun.
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 14
skif—stock.adobe.com

The Impermanence of Happiness
By Charlene Langur
In troubled times like these, in the pandemic,
in a time of earth changes, I know happiness will not come easy
without my keeping an eye out for it and taking action.
For me this means kissing my dog on the top of her furry head
each day, planning a garden of violets and asters for the season,
and always standing long to take in the morning light falling
on the mountains and yes, breathing deep, in, out, because
it reminds me of what comes and goes in a varied life.
Today the clouds come early as the sunlight shifts,
phenomena of atoms and quarks everywhere. Soon my dog and I
walk on past the old fan palm trees near the front door,
across a patch of desert full of yucca, the spot where I know
the rabbits hide behind the Mexican heather covered in blue flowers.
If we look close, we see the tail and then the whole rabbit
racing from one bush into another, disappearing in the brush
as the black crows on the tree tops, holding on tight, keep
track. We are back home again soon enough, thinking about
another go round. I dream I’ll meet a new friend along the way.
My dog dreams the same. Always where we are, light comes and
goes and we are part of it., atoms exactly of and where we are,
managing another day, pushing off thoughts of the COVID virus
as we go. Here where I am, soon, the sun will set, blue with streaks
of orange and yellow, a gift, I think, when I am mindful, stopping
on and off as I do, lingering longer than planned, catching the shine,
waiting for more
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 16
Jaynes Gallery/Danita Delimont—stock.adobe.com

Scripted Memories:
A Pantoum
By Monique Berry
Shelved journals
Gold pen
Scattered knowledge
Scripted memories
Gold pen
Liquid thoughts
Scripted memories
Of time spent
Liquid thoughts
Parchment sunshine
Of time spent
In overflowing inkwells
Parchment sunshine
Scattered knowledge
In overflowing inkwells
Shelved journals
sveta—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 17

A Child’s Christmas Carol
By Nolo Segundo
Then… it was a time of true magic,
When the world was small and soft.
It had to be magic, my mind of five
Told me: how else could my brothers
And I go to sleep on an ordinary,
Dull and quiet night, to awaken in
Sheer joy the next morn as though
We had been zapped by a warm
Bolt of harmless lightning, setting
Our now restless bodies tingling….
Like racehorses at the gate of magic,
We stood at the top of the stairs,
Pulling at whatever patience we
Could muster under the admonitions
Of Mom and Dad to wait! wait! the
Camera must be loaded—but how
Painful to be still when we knew
Children’s paradise was only a
Stairway away—and what a
Paradise we saw unfolded in
Our now unfamiliar living room!
The tree drew our eyes first—
It was big and fat, with its
Branches sagging under all
Its myriad ornaments: glass
Balls, plastic candy canes,
Tinsel drooping as though
It hung on a weeping willow
And not a proud Blue Spruce.
And hundreds and millions of
Colored lights, some blinking,
Some staid, made our tree
Sparkle like the royal crown
Of a giant king—perhaps
The King of Toys, for they
Were seen in abundance
Wherever we looked: trucks
And bikes, and bats and games.
Each brother had his own pile
(we marveled how thoughtful
Santa must be) and we knew
In each stack there were boxes
Beautifully wrapped but sans
Treasure , hiding only socks
Or shirts, perhaps a sweater.
Well, even the jolly fat man
Could not be perfect—still,
He would bring magic to our
Home every year, overnight
Transforming prosaic lives
By wonder, by magic, by love,
And after he went away,
When I was an ancient six,
The world grew much bigger
But colder, dull and empty
Of that special joy that
Can only come to those
Children who believe….
sutichak—stock.adobe.com
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 18

Happy New Year!
From Halcyon Days
The End of the Year
by Bruce Levine
The end of the year
brings a time of reflection
Watching the weather
toward New Year’s Day
Looking back over the
year now receding
Looking ahead to the
year yet to come
Halcyon Days - 2020 Issue 20 | 19
Melinda Nagy—stock.adobe.com