Summer Leaves by J.E. Jacobson

I finally had a chance to sit down and read "Summer Leaves an original collection of Haiku and Senryu" by J.E. Jacobson.

As Jacobson states in his forward - the poems do not follow traditional Haiku/Senryu format in most cases. "...please don't waste your time counting syllables." Jacobson states - but the poems in this collection do feel like Haiku/Senryu. With short, bursts of images and emotions. The reader is forced to bring more to these poems than that author is.

The collection is sprinkled with poems that give a belly laugh reaction - some of the potty humor is a welcomed break from the more serious, thought provoking poems in the collection.

Initially I read through the entire collection in roughly seven minutes - but then had a chance to go back and re-read some of the selections, it was upon this second reading that powerful favorites jumped out at me. A few examples...

tree falls
in a deserted wood
quiet morning

of all the daisies
growing in the flower pot
I plucked only one

old journals
only half filled
with metaphors

And there are many more. "Summer Leaves" is definitely worth picking up. More info on J.E. Jacobson HERE. Pick up the book either bound or downloaded HERE. And for a buck and some change who can beat 44 pages of entertainment.

Class Over and Recent Acquisitions

My masters class - Fiction Fundamentals is over! That is a so good. 1. I was quickly getting tired of the work load - tons of reading. 2. I was really sad that I was forced to spend less time on poetry and more time on fiction. What I got out of it? Well two chapters of a book - not decided whether I will continue on it or not. Maybe one day I will upload a chapter somewhere and provide a link.

Recently acquired March's Poetry Magazine and April's Wizard Magazine. I have begun reading Poetry - haven't even flipped through Wizard. I am sure I will have more comments on Poetry Magazine later - but I read this poem today and I loved it. Thought I would share.

Here I am Lord
by Michael Chitwood

The ribbed black of the umbrella
is an argument for the existence of God,

that little shelter
we carry with us

and may forget
beside a chair

in a committee meeting
we did not especially want to attend.

What a beautiful word, umbrella.
A shade to be opened.

Like a bat's wing, scalloped.
It shivers.

A drum head
beaten by the silver sticks

of rain
and I do not have mine

and so the rain showers me.

Uggghhh - why can I write like this. I read it before going to class tonight and was just smitten. It is so simple, but so poignant and beautiful at the same time.

I also saw Seth Abramson featured in this months Poetry. He has a rip roaring blog going on HERE

On a totally different note - Poetry Boot Camp starts tomorrow. I will give a report as to how the kids react.

And the Renga is continuing. Slower than previously. But still being handed off to other authors. Maybe another week and it will be posted here.