first snow...

prima zăpadă...
fetița își pune cizmele 
singură

first snow...
the little girl puts on her boots
by herself

la première neige…
la petite fille enfile ses bottes
toute seule

hatsuyuki...
chīsana on'nanoko ga hitori de
būtsu o haku 

初雪…
小さな女の子が一人で
ブーツを履く

Senryu published in cattails, October 2026

Many thanks to Editor David J Kelly for selected 

my senryu as Editor's Choice and for commentary:

"For many people who have been enduring summers with record temperatures, the snowy scene which Steliana paints will come as a welcome change. It is the cool climate of the first line which offers me a potential pivot to the reading. If this is the natural progression of the seasons, then the little girl is simply learning a degree of independence as she grows. That’s another ‘landmark’ in the growth of a child. But what if winter is metaphorical, rather than literal? The little girl’s life may have been deflected by unfortunate circumstances. Now the person who used to help her with her boots is gone and she must perform that task by herself. How important it is to understand the intention of the first line here, but how fascinating it is to explore the alternatives."