Barbara Anna Gaiardoni: Cherita (for Woman Scream Festival)

every night

she hugs

her beloved rag doll

don't be scared

the bogyman is just a figment

of your imagination

Barbara Anna Gaiardoni received the Grand Jury Prize at the international poetry competition “Ossi di seppia 2024” (Taggia, Italy). She has been nominated twice in the Touchstone Award 2023, once in the Touchstone Award 2024, in the Sundress Publications Annual Best of the Net Anthology (2025) and in the Haiku Euro Top 100 list 2023 and 2024. She has been recognized in The Mainichi’s Haiku in English Best list for 2023 and 2024 and received an Honorable Mention at the Fujisan Tanka Contest 2024. Her Japanese-style poetry has been published in 233 international magazines and translated into 12 languages.