I am eternally grateful to Hikari, and to the Head Priest [Sasagawa – ็ฌนๅทไฝ่ท] of the Rinsenji Temple in Japan for choosing to display a picture of Petals of Haiku together with Hikari’s original painting for the book cover in the prestigious Treasure House of the Rinsenji Temple. This is an immense honor that fills me with the utmost gratitude.
Hikari’s stunning artwork has elevated the beauty of theLiterary Revelations‘ Petals of Haiku collection, and I am humbled that her creation and our book will now reside in such a revered institution as the Rinsenji Temple, where they will be preserved for generations to come. Hikari’s work and the essence of our book Petals of Haiku will be immortalized, touching the hearts of all who will behold them.
The Rinsenji Temple was founded in 1497 by the samurai Nagao Yoshikage (้ทๅฐพ่ฝๅฝฑ1464-1506). Remember the samurai were not only exceptional fighters. They were also highly educated. Eou (ๆตๅฟ1424-1504) was the first head priest of the temple. The current head priest is the 41th head of the temple. Could you imagine the Treasure House of the Temple? When the head priest decides the exact placement perhaps will get a picture.
Honored hardly begins to describe what I feel.
Congratulations to all contributors.
The head priest was extremely gracious and allowed Hikari to enter the temple and take a picture for Literary Revelations.
Hikari, the head priest, Hikari’s painting and our book.
Hikari’s picture of the temple, her art, and a short video she took in the garden of the temple where she painted the original art work for the cover.
If you are in Japan please visit the temple.
You can check out the book here.
Thank you everyone! I am truly humbled.
Gabriela
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
I have no words to thank you for your support. You honor and humble me with your likes and comments.
Congratulations to all contributors to Petals of Haiku: An Anthology. You are all #1 Amazon Bestseller authors. Since its launch Petals of Haiku by Literary Revelationshave reached:
USA: #1 Amazon bestseller (Haiku & Japanese Poetry) & Top New Release in Haiku, Nature Poetry and Poetry Anthologies
Japan: #1 Amazon bestseller in Haiku & Japanese Poetry and Poetry Anthologies
There is more news coming about the book. I just received an email today. That’s more that a #1. That’s more that I could have ever hoped. When it comes to Petals of Haiku the news is stunning beyond words. I am sure that every contributor will be honored. I am honored and humbled. I am not disclosing anything right now. Please stay tuned!
Now two beautiful haiku included in the book and written by Brian Tomas. I also read them if you wish to watch the video. There are the first words I articulated after 10 days of being sick and communicating with my family via text messages.
Brian Tomas
a zephyr blowing pink cherry blossoms in spring falling like snow
open air museum by the old thatched windmill yellow tulips bloom
You can check out the book here:
Thank you everyone. Be well. Be fabulous.
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
In the US “Petals of Haiku: An Anthology” published byLiterary Revelationwent to #1 Amazon’s bestseller in Haiku and Japanese poetry before the launch day. In the US too the book was and still is a Top Release in Haiku and Japanese poetry, as well as Nature Poetry, and Poetry Anthologies at the hour I write.
In Japan “Petals of Haiku: An Anthology” has reaches #1 Amazon Bestseller in Haiku and Japanese Poetry and Poetry Anthology.
In the UK we have reached Top Release in Haiku.
In Germany we have reached #2 Top Release in Haiku and Japanize poetry. Surprise! Surprise!
I cannot tell you how humbled I am. Thank you to each and one of you for your beautiful haiku. Thank you to our award-winning Japanese artists Hikari (art) and Naoki Kimura (background photo) who contributed to the book cover and who now are my dearest friends.
A glimpse at how the cover evolved:
Beautiful Haiku by Dawn & a promotional video.
cats at the window stare hard at luminous stars, enthralled by heaven
falling star flashes in the night and disappears from sight all too soon
And please remember gifting books is precious. The other day one of my best friends came to visit. I told her that I just don’t know what to do anymore with so many mugs. I asked her if she wants them. She laughed : “Please no, I just threw mine away.”
Books make better presents than mugs!
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Petals of Haiku: An Anthology published by Literary Revelationsretains its #1 Amazon Bestselling Place in Haiku and Japanese Poetry. We are still Top New Release in Haiku and Poetry About Nature. We were briefly #1 Top Release in Poetry Anthologies. I am thrilled.
Thank you for your likes, your kind comments, and your support. I am very grateful to everyone who have helped us. Sending you love.
A few haiku from the book
butterflies flutter in the bushes red bougainvilleas
synchronised courting danceโ the grebes paddle furiously
Christina Chin
lightningโs brilliance strikes, tree falls in the whispering dawn, my body echoes.
lifeโs depth beyond pride, loveโs essence, more than wordsโ fodder, deathโs fear, left behind.
Virginia Mateias
harvesting cassava the widowed woman babywears her child
I was planning to launch Petals of Haiku: An Anthology by Literary Revelations tomorrow May 30. However the book became a New Amazon Top Release before its launch. I am in heaven. Congratulations to all contributors. Thank you to everyone who helped us. Love to everyone.
Gabriela.
You can check the book out here.
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Books:
Literary Revelations plans to release Petals of Haiku: An Anthology on May 30 [tentative date].
I would like to share with you the foreword I wrote and my reading of two wonderful poems written by one of our contributors David Garcia. I hope you enjoy. Thank you!
Petals of Haiku – Foreword
Literary Revelations invites you to immerse yourself in the captivating world of “Petals of Haiku: An Anthology.” This superb collection features the work of over 160 talented poets, each contributing four exquisite haiku, in just a few cases only three.
Petals of Haiku is not just an anthology that Literary Revelations is proud to publish. Itโs a masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of haiku poetry. The spectacular haiku writers featured in this collection bring to life the delicacy of seasons and the profound range of human emotions, from joy to grief, in a way that is both delightful and deeply moving.
Haiku, the beloved Japanese poetic form, has the power to distill life’s fleeting moments into magical verses. Within the pages of โPetals of Haiku,โ you’ll discover both traditional and nontraditional interpretations of this timeless art, each one a masterful display of precision and emotion.
This anthology is a true feast for the senses, inviting you to pause, reflect, and savor the simple elegance of these poetic gems. Whether you’re a seasoned haiku enthusiast or new to the genre, โPetals of Haikuโ will leave an indelible mark, inspiring you to see the world through fresh, enlightened eyes.
We would be truly honored if you would immerse yourself in this captivating collection. Prepare to be transported, moved, and transformed by the โPetals of Haiku.โ
The art on the cover is done by the award-winning painter Hikari who sets the tone for what awaits inside โ a world where words dance off the page and into your heart. The background photo belongs to award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura and adds another layer of beauty to this already exquisite collection; and the beautiful cover is designed by Iuliana Irimia, a wonderful Montreal artist.
Gabriela Marie Milton, Editor, Author, Publisher
Two haiku by David Garcia and a short introduction – a reading
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Books:
It is with great pleasure that we bring to you the full cover design of Petals of Haiku: An Anthology, a superb book that Literary Revelations plans to release mid to late May 2024. We are humbled by your submissions. Over 150 poets are included in this anthology and we are profoundly grateful to the award winning Japanese painter Hikari whose art work is phenomenal, as well as to the award winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura who provided the background photo.
We are also proud of the wonderful and innovative cover design, done by Iuliana Irimia, a young and talented artist, based in Montreal, Canada. Iuliana worked with Hikari’s beautiful cover art and the end result is a gorgeous marriage between Hikari’s Japanese art and Iuliana’s Western take on the conceptualizing of haiku. This marriage is highly reflected in the haiku included in this book.
A Few Words about the Anthology
Petals of Haiku is not just an anthology that Literary Revelations is proud to publish. It’s a masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of haiku poetry like never before. The spectacular haiku writers featured in this collection bring to life the delicacy of seasons and the profound range of human emotions, from joy to grief, in a way that is both delightful and deeply moving.
The art on the cover by award-winning painter Hikari sets the tone for what awaits inside – a world where words dance off the page and into your heart. The background photo by award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura adds another layer of beauty to this already exquisite collection.
A few words about Japanese haiku
Before Literary Revelations publishes the anthology I want to share with you several thoughts advanced by Westerns and Asian scholars on haiku. The traditional haiku form is one thing 5-7-5 syllables and it is generally known by all writers of haiku. However, most importantly for Literary Revelations is what we discovered in the haiku included in our collection. That is to say how the poets included in the anthology expressed their feelings and how haiku evolved since its inception to the present.
As Bruce Ross argues in the The Essence of Haiku (Modern Haiku, 2007), “affective feeling generated through the absolute metaphor of haiku became associated with different kinds of aesthetic values in traditional Japanese haiku. Mono no aware, โthe pathos of things,โ is an overall term for how one is affected by things. Other aesthetic values in haiku include wabi, โsimplicity,โ sabi, โmetaphysical loneliness,โ and yรปgen, โmystery.โ Contrary to Western poetics (aside from Romanticism), for example, Oriental (sic!) poetry and poetics was centered upon such states of affective feeling…. So rather than being a senseless thing, a flower in a given context could radiate affective feeling for the Japanese haiku poet not as symbol, but as an existentially valid presence.”
The last sentence here is of great importance. Symbolists will disagree that a flower is a senseless thing. However, they will argue that the symbol behind the flower is magic and meaningful; the real flower is just “charming.” Yet, this does not mean that symbolists cannot understand or feel what haiku transmits. Poetry is art and as Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson claims art “helps us identify with one another and expands our notion of weโfrom the local to the global.โ One can go ahead and look at the work of scholars who study the neuroplasticity of the brain and decide for himself/herself.
Bruce Ross continues, “It should be noted, additionally, that the โfeelingโ in haiku is usually not the demonstrative emotion of Western poetry. Haiku is not used to express strong emotions, which are usually reserved for tanka. Rather it is a mode of receptive feeling between a poet and his natural subject, even though the poet’s emotional climate often affects and even directs his/her relation to the subject.”
While the first part of the paragraph is clear the second claim appears questionable. If the emotional climate affects and directs the relationship to the subject is then the flower only “an existentially valid presence”?
One way or another Bruce Ross’ essay is extremely valuable. You can find it here
Again, we are thrilled to release the gorgeous cover and we hope you enjoy it.
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Books:
Literary Revelationsis thrilled to reveal the cover art of Petals of Haiku: An Anthology.
We plan to release the anthology mid to late May. We are absolutely thrilled with the high quality of submissions. We congratulate everyone who received an email of acceptance โ over 150 poets did โ and we ask those who did not make it not to give up. We are ready to work with them in the future.
A Few Words about the Anthology
Petals of Haiku is not just an anthology that Literary Revelations is proud to publish. Itโs a masterpiece that encapsulates the essence of haiku poetry like never before. The spectacular haiku writers featured in this collection bring to life the delicacy of seasons and the profound range of human emotions, from joy to grief, in a way that is both delightful and deeply moving.
The art on the cover by award-winning painter Hikari sets the tone for what awaits inside โ a world where words dance off the page and into your heart. The background photo by award-winning Japanese photographer Naoki Kimura adds another layer of beauty to this already exquisite collection.
Art Reveal
Our cover designer is working hard. We will release the entire cover in a week. Those of you who did not received an email from us please let us know.
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Books:
โWhile photography inherently gives the impression of being โrealโ or โexisting in reality,โ the essence of monochrome photography lies in creating scenes that do not actually exist. Through this abstraction, the universal characteristics and emotions of the subject are emphasized, bringing out a deeper sense of reality. If color photography can evoke individual emotions and meanings as realism, monochrome photography can be said to enable a universal empathy not influenced by color.
In summary, monochrome photography opens up new visual and emotional dimensions by stripping away color from reality and achieving a unique balance between reality and unreality. It is one of the methods that appeals to human perception and emotions, a means to explore the world โbeyond of the surfaceโ of the photograph.โ
Naoki Kimura
Dear Readers,
Literary Revelations is thrilled to bring you more news about one of our most exceptional contributors Naoki Kimura, an artist whose black and white photography has reached the hearts of millions. If you wish to read more about Naoki Kimura you can click here.
In an early article about Naoki Kimura I wrote that โhis stunning photography rewrites our world in black and white, creating new territories where objects โ natural or not โ become mysteries shrouded in shadows, only to partially be revealed by a diffuse light that refuses to be definedโฆ The extraordinary art of Naoki Kimura liberates the light from shadow bringing both in a perfect equilibrium. Kimura creates a world of stillness and beauty that forces oneโs train of thought to stop. The emotions conveyed by his art are deep yet quiet, infused with a meditative quality. They reflect the purity and the beauty of the beginning of the world.โ
I will rewrite that over and over again.
Naoki Kimura at the Tokyo International Art Fair, one of the most prestigious exhibitions in Asia
Naoki Kimura was one of the participants at the Tokyo International Art Fair that took place between March 8th Fri โ 10th Sun, the Tokyo International Forum Hall E & Lobby Gallery E.
The image below represents Naoki Kimuraโs photo that was exhibited. You also can see the same image in the gallery on the wall on the second photo, along with other art works from the fair and a superb YouTube video which shows the limitless artistic potential of most participants.
Naoki Kimura โ A Solo Exhibition
Naokiโs solo exhibition is scheduled to take place in Kyoto from April 29th to May 26th. https://store.tsite.jp/kyoto/english/ featuring a selection of works previously exhibited. The concept consistently revolves around expressing the beauty of transience, known as โmono no aware.โ
Naokiโs leading photograph is one whose beauty left me speechless.
You can read more about Naokiโs upcoming solo exhibition and see more photographs in the newspaper article below. I will also come back with more info once the exhibition takes place.
Any day now Literary Revelations will release the art cover of our upcoming anthology: Petals of Haiku. The art cover is the work of our fabulous Japanese painter Hikari on a background photo by Naoki Kimura. All participates will receive letters of acceptance and/or rejection. Please stay tuned.
I open my veins in warm waters each time when you like what I write the sound of the sands in the darkness the eyes of the desert are dried the midnight windows are opened I jump like a lynx from a cage dressed in cold winds and in black barefoot I land on the yolk of young times I paid all the bills do not worry I buried my bracelets by the green wall white shirts are lined in the closet this sand tastes like canvas and paint I sharpen my eyes my fingers are stretched from the cosmic tomorrow I enter tonight
Iโll return do not worry disheveled, loves cry between us remember the words of the Persian Sibyl who sold you my soul for three coins? the time is fluid like rivers water lilies can bloom in the sand
Volverรฉ
Rebosan mis venas en agua cรกlida cada vez que me dices que te gusta lo que escribo. El sonido de la arena en la oscuridad, los ojos del desierto estรกn secos, las ventanas de la medianoche abiertasโฆ salto como un lince de la jaula vestida de negro y vientos frรญos, descalza, aterrizo en la yema de los viejos tiempos. Paguรฉ mis deudas, tranquilo, enterrรฉ las pulseras junto a la pared verde, las camisas blancas estรกn alineadas en el armario, ยกesta arena sabe a lienzo y pintura! afilo la mirada, mis dedos se estiran desde el maรฑana cรณsmico y entro en esta noche.
Volverรฉ, tranquilo, despeinada, con el amor gritando entre nosotros, ยฟrecuerdas las palabras de la sibila persa que te vendiรณ mi alma por tres monedas? El tiempo fluye como un rรญo Y los lirios de agua pueden florecer en la arena.
Literary Revelations recently published Echoes Lost in Stars by PS Conway. The book reached Top New Release on Amazon in all categories: poetry about nature, poetry about love, and American Poetry. It’s a splendid poetry collection. Thank you to everyone who helped us. I am humbled by your support. Those of you who still want to check the book out you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Lost-Stars-Poems-Conway-ebook/dp/B0CW1HRHB5
Gabriela Marie Milton 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee Publisher, Editor, Award Winning & #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Books:
