From the publisher:
Heterodox Haiku Journal and Nun Prophet Press present, a collection of verses from around the world showcasing English approaches to the 20 most popular classical Japanese kireji or ‘cutting words’ used to catalyze a ‘cut’ or kire, separate portions of a haiku/senryu poem or create an elegant ending for the piece. Featuring 58 haikuists and senryujins representing 12 countries, including 155 original works, exemplifying approaches ranging from the strictly traditionalist to the very experimental and modern, these punctuated micropoems are hard-hitting and thoughtfully crafted by an impressive variety of diverse voices encompassing both highly experienced and excitingly emerging, united thrillingly under a banner of trailblazing exploration and further harmonized through application of a consistent formatting structure modeled after the effective mode of communicating these concepts observable in Makoto Ueda’s seminal “Modern Japanese Haiku”, this anthology will introduce you to gifted new talents worth keeping an eye on, and also present polished, powerful poetry by familiar, recognized virtuosos who demonstrate strikingly the capabilities and potency of applying these time-honored, under-appreciated, less examined tools and techniques of the Japanese haikai playbook, in the process generating provocative evidence and arguments regarding some prevalent longstanding faulty assumptions and disconnects between English and Japanese short form philosophy and practice, the reconsideration of which could open up writers’ options for personal composition considerably, not to mention strengthen understandings of core tenets and elemental components of the eastern poetic foundations. An engaging, pivotal read which is of great pleasure to peruse and can be of significant potential impact on the English Language Haiku community, examining an integral topic which has received insufficient attention over the initial century of western practice of these arts, which while at best only graspingly scratches the surface, will hopefully inspire much fresh discussion and dedicated academic examination by qualified scholars, as well as fruitful application via bold adventurers. Gird your paradigms, and take a gander if you dare!
My pieces included:
“Sunrise!”
“Only memories”
“Horizontal rain”
