For you, a poem and a photo from my travel, which will continue for a few more days. Thank you for reading.
Eleusinian – Poem by Gabriela Marie Milton
Beneath the silence of the heated rocks, Demeter harvests her lost tears, Tonight, you will be hers, my dear, Your body arting stones and souls
The ears of the corn will grow in silence, Secrets of red sweetened lips Falling to your knees Youโll drink from my cupped palms The supplication prayers Of those youโve never met
Unknowing who I am, The goddessโs veil will fallโ Revealing all that once was hidden, Blooms of blushed and bluish mornings That once were sacred and now sleep Inside the drunken silence of museums
The light is tender, the shadow falls with graceโ delicate, it stirs the ache of beauty. I linger, awaiting the hush of the lull. ใ
NAOKI KIMURA
My dear followers,
I wish you a beautiful weekend filled with love and joy.
LITERARY REVELATIONS’ TEAM is absolutely ecstatic to unveil the stunning cover for our forthcoming album LULLASCAPES IN LIGHT AND SHADOW, crafted by the incredibly talented Japanese artist NAOKI KIMURA. Today, we are filled with excitement to share more about this remarkable album, so letโs dive into the enchanting journey ahead!
THE ALBUM
Trimmed at 8.27 x 11.69 inches, the album is a piece of art for those who love beauty and want to explore Japanese traditional concepts through photography and poetry, presented through the lens and voice of one of the most remarkable Zen Japanese artists.
It’s a collector’s piece.
For those eager to journey deeper into the heart of Japanese culture, there is no more resonant path than one illuminated by the fine art photography and poetry of a preeminent Zen photographer. The album is more than a collection of images or mere wordsโit is an invitation to see with new eyes, to listen with a still mind, and to experience the world as a fleeting, exquisite moment.
RELEASE DATE
We are proud to let you know that we plan to release LULASCAPES IN LIGHT AND SHADOW at the end of August, when Naoki Kimura’s new exhibition will open at the HILTON TOKYO HOTEL. The exhibition will run until October. In honor of the launch, the artist decided to call his exhibition LULASCAPES IN LIGHT AND SHADOW. Our album will be there!
We are delighted to present to you the cover of the album.
NAOKI KIMURA -BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
Naoki Kimura, a fine art photographer and poet, was born in the historic weaving district of Nishijin in Kyoto. In this enclave, centuries-old threads of tradition and artistry are intricately intertwined. Kimuraโs work is shaped by the subtle grandeur of Japanโs ancient heart. This cradle of craftsmanship, with its iridescent silks and quiet courtyards, instilled in him an early reverence for the grace found in both everyday moments and the painstaking work of artisans.
In 1987, driven by a yearning for broader horizons, Kimura embarked on a pilgrimage to the United States. By 1990, the creative current of New York had claimed him. New York became both an anchor and a launching point, enabling him to traverse Europeโs storied landscapes. Naoki Kimuraโs first album emerged as a radiant homage to the Renaissance that once swept across the heart of Europe. Every image, meticulously crafted and deeply evocative, channels the intellectual fervor, aesthetic grandeur, and passionate spirit that defined that transformative era.
Yet, despite the lure of the world, there remained an inexorable pull toward home. In 2017, with the wisdom of years and an ever-deepening artistic vision, he turned his gaze back to Japan, establishing Tokyo as his creative nexus. Here, amid the contrasting rhythms of ancient temples and neon-lit avenues, he embarked on a new chapterโa return not only to his country of birth but to purpose.
At the core of his photographic meditation lies an exploration of mono no awareโthe tender awareness of impermanence and the gentle sorrow that accompanies it. Through his unique sensibility, he distills this concept into what he calls โNagiโ: a profound, resonant calm. It is a stillness that is not emptiness but fullnessโan echo of all that once was and might yet be. Each photograph, whether of a fleeting shadow on stone or the hush before a storm, seeks to capture the tremor that arises when moment and place convergeโa fleeting qualia, the ineffable felt quality of existence itself.
His art is, in essence, the patient recording of these thresholds: the pause where time lingers, suspended in the interplay of light and shadow. Through careful observation, Noaki Kimura makes the invisible manifest; his images invite viewers to inhabit silence, to contemplate the spaces between breath, thought, and sensation.
This singular vision has garnered him a devoted circle of collectors, not only in his native Japan but across the Americas and Europe. To encounter his work is to be reminded of the fragility of beauty, the sweetness of melancholy, and the immense depth that resides within the most unassuming of moments. His photographs are not records of the world, but portals to its soulโeach frame a meditation, each composition an invitation to dwell, if only for an instant, in the presence of stillness.
Naoki Kimuraโs newest album, Lullascapes in Light and Shadow (Literary Revelations, 2025), is a testimony to his exceptional art and a symphony of refinement and restraint. His Japanese art embraces both quiet contemplation and offers the world a vision where the fleeting and the eternal converge.
SOON WE WILL RELEASE A LIST OF NAOKI KIMURA’S EXHIBITIONS.
Wishing all my amazing followers a truly enchanting weekend filled with magic.
Photo: Naoki Kimura
A poem by Gabriela Marie Milton
Memories, static, a half-formed word. The girlsโ laughter echoing through the hollow chest of a moment in time.
Gone now, my eyes blurred like rain on glass, perhaps I dreamt themโ
Young bodies flickering in the static, their fancy emptied like pockets after a carnival. What did they buy from the pharmacy?
It smells like morphineโ sweet, chemical, a day in life dissolving at the edges.
I look through your eyes at the girlsโ nonexistent presence, shadows in the room, the laughterโ folded into silence.
I think of you. Years inscribed on windows. What did the girls buy from the pharmacy?
Sneak a peek at Naoki Kimura’s upcoming Photo Album from Literary Revelations.
Naoki Kimura, a celebrated artist known for his fine art photography, is set to release a breathtaking new album under the aegis of Literary Revelations. Tentatively scheduled for publication at the end of July, this highly anticipated album promises to be an unparalleled artistic experience and an exquisite addition to any coffee table.
Capturing the Essence of Japanese Sensibility
The album stands as a testament to the profound beauty of Japanese culture through the medium of monochrome photography. It artfully encapsulates cherished aesthetic principles such as โMono no Aware,โ the bittersweet awareness of impermanence; โWabi,โ the understated elegance of simplicity; and โSabi,โ the poetic grace of age and weathering. Each photograph invites viewers into a meditative space, allowing them to perceive the beauty hidden within the fleeting moments of life.
A Fusion of Art and Literature
Beyond its striking visuals, the album harmonizes the photographic artistry with the written word. It contains a rich tapestry of haiku, tanka, free-form poetry, and short prose, each piece carefully curated to complement the visual narrative. This literary inclusion elevates the album into a multidimensional experience, offering not just imagery but profound reflections that resonate deeply with the soul.
An Artistic Treasure for Every Home
Naoki Kimuraโs album is more than a collection of photographsโit’s a piece of art that speaks to the heart. Its pages promise moments of introspection, beauty, and connection, making it the perfect centerpiece for contemplation and conversation. The fusion of visual and literary artistry ensures that this work will leave an indelible mark on all who encounter it.
Prepare to immerse yourself in an extraordinary experience when Naoki Kimuraโs fine art photography arrives this summer. This album promises to be not only a feast for the senses but also a celebration of the timeless essence of Japanese sensibility. Truly, a masterpiece destined to touch hearts and enrich lives.
โWith lush language and lavish imagery, Gabriela M. evokes a fantastic world ripe with emotion.โ Christina Schwarz, the author of the New York Times Bestseller โDrowning Ruth.”
For five times in twenty-four hours, I face in the direction of the sea.
The first time the morning star floats above the water as innocent as the breast of a young girl. Soon the sun will try to catch her naked and burn her skin. She will escape. Pigeons will carry her across the sea. She will melt into yellow waters. Her last rays will fall in my lap like feathers.
I will rejoice.
The second time, divorced from her night bed, the light disperses itself on the shore. I can see myself washing clothes in the sea. My hair is tied in a ponytail. I am barefoot, and my dress is rolled up. The skin of my lips is cracked. I bleed. The clothes I wash smell cedar and spices. The shadow of a seagull positions itself on my forehead. The sea reflects the twelve signs of the zodiac. I can see no relationship between my destiny and that which I do. I am scared.
At noon, the sun kneads the waters with rapture. Shells shed pearls on the shore. My own rational thought leaves my body. I delight in the waves like a gazelle in the grasslands. I feel the movement of the water on my skin. Its cyclical quality sends me into a state of ecstasy. No, it is not the ecstasy of Saint Teresa of รvila. It is something similar to a soporific trance. I am dead, and I am alive at the same time. I come from the sea. I return to the sea.
In the afternoon, my rational self awakens. My mind spreads its wings. I get preoccupied with verbs. I set one triangle in the normal position, and I invert the other one. I bind them together. I make myself a dress from pieces of paper inscribed with old symbols. Oh, femininity! You are the goddess of vines, the mother earth, the chalice, the blood, the fertility of the womb. I mull over these desperate efforts to equalize the feminine with the masculine. There is nothing in these symbols that points to the intellect of a woman.
In the evening, the sky stretches itself from blue to dark violet. The silk of the gloves hugs my fingers. I feed my iguana with cookies soaked in champagne. She hisses at me. I open a package of silk stockings. The door opens by itself. You step in. I stare at you. You are in by your own volition. One kiss and you borrow my tears. One touch, and I borrow your pain. A passage rite. I keep a coffin adorned with lilies in my bedroom. I sleep besides death like Sarah Bernhardt.
Did you hear that noise? A rosary fell from the Spanish chest.
The wind slips between the petals of a rose and opens it.
Who am I? If I knew, I would tell you.
Did you say you love me? The twenty-four hours are up. Nobody is facing in the direction of the sea anymore.
There is no me.
NEWS
Now, more news about Literary Revelations and Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku.
As I write, Tranquility is currently the #1 top release in the US and the most gifted book in Japan.
Literary Revelations is deeply grateful to everyone who bought the book. That helped us to donate to several charities.
You can get the book here:
Literary Revelations and Victoria Onofrei of Bloomsbury Radio (Victoria in Verse Show), UK, will organize a Poetry Festival on Sunday, May 18, 2025 – 5pm London time. The festival will take place via Zoom.
All contributors will be invited, as well as, those who are not contributors but bought the book.
I will come back very soon with more details. Please follow us at Literary Revelations https://literaryrevelations.com/, @gabriela_marie_milton and @lr_publishers.
Thank you,
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Thank you to all my followers who reviewed my books. Please read other reviews here:
You made a doll and projected your soul into it. You named it after me. Oh, your infantile state filled with rage and creativity. In the end, the earth devours us. If you give me that doll, I promise I will show you that we are the planetary twin-peaked mountains.
From black through red through gold, we will ascend to the sky ending in the exact point where the universe blessed our love.
Our cross will bear fruits. I love you. Does it surprise you? Now, please, give me that doll.
News about Literary Revelations’ Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku.
Dear Followers
Literary Revelations is thrilled to let you know that Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku will be released immediately after Easter.
The first page for you:
Have a beautiful week.
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Thank you to all my followers who reviewed my books. Please read other reviews here:
Skies, imperishable yellows coiled around your finger.
Under the coldness of your eyes, a flower blooms.
Prophesies melt in the waters of a changing time.
UPDATE:
Literary Revelations is thrilled to announce that we have finished the selections for Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku. If we selected an author, we selected the entire block of five haiku the respective author wrote. We included over 240 authors. This week, you, my dearest contributors, will receive an email of acceptance/and, regretfully, some of you of rejection. Please stay tuned.
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Thank you to all my followers who reviewed my books. Please read other reviews here:
Christina Schwarz, the author of the New York Times Bestseller โDrowning Ruth.”
โWith lush language and lavish imagery, Gabriela Marie Milton. evokes a fantastic world ripe with emotion.โ Christina Schwartz
Edited Collections: #1 Amazon Bestseller, Hidden in Childhood (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon bestseller,Petals of Haiku (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (EIF)
The afternoon smelled of brick; I used to scratch the wall with my knees and nails on my way to the sea.
My blood stained my socks and fed the roots of the orange tree Mama planted one spring before my seventh birthday. Soon after, the tree grew blood oranges.
I used to dream I would reach the port before crickets would serenade the white cement between the bricks, and the evening wind would sew the wounds from the face of the wall.
I needed a God to lead me to the sea. In Mama’s stories, there were too many Gods leading souls to heaven. I did not want to go to heaven. I wanted to go to the sea.
I used to fail. I did not understand what failure is. The next afternoon, little ducks embroidered on the rim of my blue dress, I would start climbing the wall again.
One day I thought I would get to the port and run straight into the sea.
Little did I know that the day would come when I would first look into your eyes. The sea inside your eyes is like laundry left to dry on a wire. Long red poles floundered left and right like the wings of a moribund bird. The body of a boat eroded by salt, and by the kisses of the women of your past agonized in green and blue.
Your eyes: on the right, your love for me, and on the left, your hate for the world.ย
Did I say your love for me? You see, over time, I had to reconsider that formulation. Your feelings resembled more a never-ending animal magnetism than love.
Let me make one thing clear. No one person is sufficient to drive all demons from another one. You can think of Goethe’s elective affinities if you wish. I cannot save you from you. You need to help me. ย I can carry this conversation into the night and win.
Ah, winning! The day I understood I can win, I stepped into hell.
That day was the day I lost my innocence and, with that, paradise. Since then, my blood has never stained my socks. The orange tree has never grown red-fleshed oranges, and Mama stopped telling stories.
featured image: Gabriela Marie Milton, Greece.
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Thank you to all my followers who reviewed my books. Please read other reviews here:
Christina Schwarz, the author of the New York Times Bestseller โDrowning Ruth.”
โWith lush language and lavish imagery, Gabriela Marie Milton. evokes a fantastic world ripe with emotion.โ Christina Schwartz
Edited Collections: #1 Amazon Bestseller, Hidden in Childhood (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon bestseller,Petals of Haiku (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (EIF)
frontiers of my being the hour of sunsets has come with bare hands I drown you in the coldest seas red lilies burn you in the hidden valley predatory birds delight in carnal straps I run barefoot through streets of no return I knock on doors a piece of bread for my entire heart
oh, itโs midnight I step into the land of fantasies that are not mine I play with dreams like children play with kites fires taller than the sky burst from my pregnant heart nocturnal marigolds crawl on my skin like ants I interrupt the voice of number Pi from the clouds I rain on you, my love, the silence of the prophets without tongues
was that a ray of light? skyscrapers yawn destinies melt in the taste of coffee and mistrust coughs of cars the day confines me to the sick banality of its own land my hands, aquatic pillars of forgotten fantasies wait like thieves on corners of the streets for yet another night
And here is a review of Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings that I think I’ve never seen before, and I do not know the reviewer personally.
[Following is a volunteer review of “Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings” by Gabriela Marie Milton.]
4 out of 4 stars
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings, by Gabriela Marie Milton, is a beautiful book that talks mainly of love and its infinite ways of touching each one of us. It also depicts the true depth of human relationships and emotions, how passion can be malleable, intense, and sometimes difficult to understand completely. What I think is one of the greatest achievements of this book is the diversity it has when it comes to writing: love poems, prose poems, flash fictions, and poems translated in Italian.
The poems are brief, carrying such perceptive and sensorial imagery that they give off the impression of being constantly and infinitely expanding themselves to the universe. They talk about love and how wonderful it is, but also about the disagreements and complexities that come with it. Each poem unfolds different scenery with its very own landscape and emotions. It offers a full repertoire of sensations to explore with all the human senses. The reader will be able to smell, touch, see, taste, and hear everything that the poem narrates, transforming the reading into a unique experience. โThose roses which die in the winter/played the piano last night/a whirlpool of notes and of poems/inscribed on a wall painted in blueโ (p.26) Reading these lines, it feels as if you were immersed on them, surrounded by those roses and the whirlpool of notes and poems. Closer to the end of the book you have the Prose Poems and Flash Fiction. These are short stories written in poetic prose, which is a hybrid genre of writing that mixes the attributes and structures of both prose and poetry, meaning you can find short stories divided into brief paragraphs or separated into lines on the page, which is the process known as lineation, used when writing poetry. The stories narrated in these sections address issues like the strength of character, loneliness, obsession, love, family, and every little thing that comes with human relationships. It is exceptionally and beautifully written and it completely captivates the reader and makes him feel the same way the poet does.
The poems and the flash fiction are highly aesthetic, sometimes even rhythmical, and its unique quality is the ambiguity that they offer. It is poetry that suggests multiple interpretations of the words that it uses, and by doing this, it evokes a lot of emotive responses from the reader. Apart from the main topic that the poems address, which is love, they also have abundant cultural references. For example, when Astraea is named, which is a goddess from Greek mythology, or the Guadalquivir which is a Spanish river, or even Garcรญa Lorca, a famous poet. The writer of this book uses symbolism, alliteration, and other figures of speech such as metaphor, metonymy or simile brilliantly and intellectually. She creates a complex yet excellent layering of meanings, forming connections between the verses that were not previously perceived, and it also establishes a resonance or even similarity between images that may seem disparate when you first read them. It is a wonderful book to read if you are interested in a kind of poetry with universal meaning and value.
I recommend this book to poetry lovers who are looking for a kind of poetry that mixes all kinds of different elements, creating a new way of perceiving love. In this book, love can be found everywhere: on the trees or the river, in the soul or inner self, in the scary darkness, in every city of the world. The poems that this book offers are wonderful because they can show the complexity of love and its many branches. I wouldnโt recommend this book to someone who has just started reading poetry because he may find it hard to discover the underlying connections between the verses or understand the very complex and advanced lexicon this poetry has.
I rate the book 4 out of 4 stars because, on the one hand, it is evident that it was professionally edited, with no spelling mistakes whatsoever or errors in the typing. On the other hand, the one I consider the most important aspect of the book, is that it represents the essence of poetry with its characteristic sensitiveness and diverse, heartfelt meanings. Gabriela Marie Milton proves to be an impressive, very intelligent, sensitive, and perceptive writer and without her, this book wouldnโt be what it is now: a beautiful, creative and unique book.
Thank you for reading and enjoy the rest of your day!
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Thank you to all my followers who reviewed my books. Please read other reviews here:
Edited Collections: #1 Amazon Bestseller, Hidden in Childhood (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon bestseller,Petals of Haiku (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (EIF)
Happy Wednesday my dear followers! A poem for today.
The sky opens. The child continues to sleep, the moon tightly squeezed between his little fingers. In the #bathtub roses, and the aroma of sandalwood invert their positions. I took too many sleeping pills.
I fell into the exaltation of my own double. Grabbed by the claws of a bird the loneliness spams. A conch shell releases your voice. Stars and sea salt. My last I love you.
Congratulations to everyone who came on top at Spillwords this year! Click on the picture to see the nominees and the winners.
Reminder:
Literary Revelationsinvites you to unleash your poetic prowess and be part of our upcoming poetry collection entitled Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku. With a cover designed by our of award-winning Japanese artist Hikari, and with artistic photos by award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura included, please do not miss the chance to have your words grace the pages of our anthology.
Submit 5 haiku (s) at literaryrevelations@pm.me Label your submission: 5 Haiku Submissions close on February 28.
My books (Only English) #1 Amazon bestseller, Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings (Vita Brevis) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Women: Splendor and Sorrow (Vita Brevis)
Edited Collections: #1 Amazon Bestseller, Hidden in Childhood (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon bestseller,Petals of Haiku (Literary Revelations) #1 Amazon Bestseller, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women (EIF)
A nude silence wraps around my lips.The hour to get drunk on love has come. I touch your skin and another you is born. Birds invade the sky. A labyrinth of candles floods the streets. A white thread ties my blood vessels at the exact moment when a religious procession walks by.
Loveโฆ
Literary Revelationsinvites you to unleash your poetic prowess and be part of our upcoming poetry collection entitled Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku. With a cover designed by our of award-winning Japanese artist Hikari, and with artistic photos by award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura included, please do not miss the chance to have your words grace the pages of our anthology.
Submit 5 haiku (s) at literaryrevelations@pm.me Label your submission: 5 Haiku Submissions close on February 28.
