A collection of original haiku (Renku) poetry and Japanese art. Sumi-E pen and ink brush work. Haiku is an ancient form of writing poetry from Japan, and is very strict in its structure. Three sections of three lines each. The first and third lines must be five syllables. The second line must be seven syllables. Haiku usually refers to nature somewhere in the poetry. This book includes all original Haiku by a living poet. There has been a huge revival of interest in this form of poetry and its beauty is recognized by the modern world. Volume II has more poetry. The MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW The World of Haiku is a striking collection of original poetry; each poem consists of three haiku verses. Bold, pen-and-ink artwork embellishes each brief poem. The World of Haiku embodies the spirit of encompassing timeless observations in a fleeting moment of verse, and is a delightful treasure for any who enjoy contemplative haiku poetry. ' " Summer Woods": a single leaf floats / deer creep along well worn paths / fish leap with delight // rings spread on the pond / katydids shout their presence / goslings paddle near...... ' ~~Paul T. Vogel, Reviewer 'Butterflies and Bullets , a curious title for a book of poetry, delivers what its title implies: an interplay between nature and emotional inspection. Poetry readers should anticipate ethereal pieces that capture a wide range of sensations. From the smells and feel of the world in 'Fragrance of Life' , these are pieces that cry, ache, observe,and immerse the reader in emotional responses to life's beauty and treachery. Joy and anguish, pleasure and pain ... concurrent tides of diverse expressions run through these pieces to profile the intricacies and nuances of life. When paired with evocative illustrations, it's a dance of life that flies and falls through experience with a poet and observer's astute, deft touch. Poetry fans will find these works accessible; and though they may seem deceptively simple at first, their lasting impact lies in their thought-provoking, descriptive moments.' ~~ Diane C. Donovan, Senior Reviewer ~ Midwest Book Review 'Even the title denotes the strange duality between innocence and loss, and that theme is prevalent throughout the work. Mostly in free form, Sugarek keeps everything in a minimalist range, lending focus to intimate moments like a man playing his Mandolin beside a fire, or the quiet landscape of the Serengeti just before rainfall. These truncated pieces of life, found in Butterflies and Bullets , feel like literary snapshots. These are Sugarek's butterfly collection. Then, of course, there are the bullets. The bullets are also set in free form, however they deal with much more happenings and are more narratively set. My favorite poem is one of these. "Hair Cut... Two Bits" chronicles the return of a barber from war-torn Europe in 1934 via a freighter into the Mississippi from the Gulf. The story, though scarcely a few pages, manages to convey the loss, struggle, and triumph of war given a single, near microscopic, experience. The book's minimalist structure, "Butterflies and Bullets" comes off splendidly. The collection feels complete and utterly whole, no piece of the pie excluded. Such close ups reveal that every place is connected. The ocean, if you look closely enough, looks just like rain on the blistering asphalt of your driveway. Shanty Irish curtains, at a certain scale, are indistinguishable from the sculpted wood of a Native American totem pole. This is the nature of Sugarek's poetry, that when you pull back you see how different everything is, but when you put it under the microscope, a butterfly is really just a bullet with wings.' BookReview.com When you write haiku you are taken out of your head and into your heart. To write it successfully, you must get rid of all the extraneous words and par your work down to the most elemental. The original pen, brush and ink artwork (based upon ancient Japanese art) found within these pages make the perfect accompaniment for this modern book of haiku. CHECK IT OUT! The NEW and revised Haiku JOURNAL. 195+ blank, lined pages on which to write YOUR Haiku. A beautiful collection of Haiku and Renku poetry grace the pages to inspire you. There is also sections of 'how to' to help you get started. Trisha Sugarek has enjoyed a twenty year career writing stage plays, (after leaving an acting/directing career that spanned decades). She also writes fiction, children's books and poetry. She expanded her body of work to include five children's books that started as children's plays. (Samuel French, llc. Publisher) Fourteen novels, of which ten are a series of true crime mysteries. She has written a collection of 35+, ten minute plays for the classroom.  Trisha lives in Savannah, Georgia with Petey, a Yorkie mix and their two cats, Fiona and Barcode. All were rescued and adopted by Trisha. writeratplay.com