Canadian Zen Haiku Journal Review

Canadian Zen Haiku Journal
By Richard Janke Vallance
Describe Adonis Press
ISSN 1705 4508

A Place You Can Call Home

Canadian Zen Haiku started as an ezine some years ago but with the love and support of its moderator and editor-in-chief, Mr. Richard Janke Vallance and all the members and contributors, this vivid and imaginative haiku ezine turned into a one of the popular haiku print journals around the world. Since it became a printed journal, many haijins all over the world have been able to publish their wonderful haiku and other Japanese literary works. Most haijins came from Canada, USA, Japan, India, Europe and even in the Philippines.

Canadian Zen Haiku journal publishes different faces of Japanese translations such as haiku, tanka, haibun, sernyu, kanji and even haiga and haibun. Unlike any other haiku journal, Canadian Zen Haiku expresses its contributed works with vivid and picturesque images that only makes every work more alive. Every work from haijin all over the world are all captivating on its own beauty and imagination that will surely make every reader sigh and think for just awhile and savor each perfectly made works.

Mr. Vallance always see to it that all the support and encouragements are given to all his members and contributors. He maintained his Yahoo group which every one is welcome to join and share his or her works. Great and helpful feedbacks are shared with every submitted works posted on the group list. You can actually say that Canadian Zen Haiku is truly a place you can call your home.

Canadian Zen Haiku journal is like a magical sensei that will mould you, support you with your works until you finally learned how to spread your wings and fly into the real world of publishing. What’s great about this journal is no matter how great you may be or successful you may become in your writing, you will still remember the magic this journal had given to you. Canadian Zen haiku journal is a wonderful and profound place for all your literary works.

You may reach the moderator/editor-in-chief, Mr. Richard Janke Vallance at vallance22@gmail.com

Weepin' Willa (Book Review)

Weepin’ Willa
By Nariscia Lott
Self-Published Book

Extraordinary and Honest

Weepin’ Willa by Nariscia Lott is her first book of short stories which revolved from her past to present life. At first, I asked myself how I should read this book because as you may see, the stories are not in chronological order but as I continue reading each story, I begin to understand why she wrote her book this way. Her stories are so real you can even see the characters’ faces, smell their skin, touch and feel their emotions and even hear their heartbeat as they entwined their selves to the stories. Each character has its own color and vivid image that you will never forget.

Somehow the way Ms. Lott wrote her stories are what readers really missed from reading books. Though I’m not against with the edited versions but the way Weepin’ Willa was presented is like as if Ms. Lott is actually sitting right next to you with a cup of lavender tea on hand while she unfolds all her happiness, sadness, loss and even her deepest secrets to you. You’d feel like as if you are Ms. Lott’s best friend.

Weepin’ Willa is a kind of book that will make you look out in the window and sigh and think about how you live your life. Her stories were filled with love, faith and straight from the heart words. No hypocrisy. Just plain love, love and more love.

No wonder weepin’ willa, the tree, just keeps on shedding those tears for Ms. Lott’s first collection of short stories is so deeply felt and beautiful. One of the many books I will never forget.

To reach the author, you may email her at weepin.willa@hotmail.com or you may visit her site at http://www.nariscialott.com/

Mice Verses Man (Book Review)

Mice Verses Man
By R Jay Slais
Big Table Publishing Company

One Of A Kind.

Mice Verses Man by R Jay Slais is one of the best poetry chapbook I’ve ever read. As a poet myself, I can see and feel the emotions set on every words Mr. Slais put into his poetry. He pictures every poem with vivid images that you can actually feel and touch the person on it. Every poem written has its own life, breathing its own beauty from one page to another.

Some of my favorite poems are Nice Guys Always Finish, Middle of the Night We Weep, Love Solstice and The Search. Somehow in these selected poems, I can relate. There were incidences in my life that I saw it all happened again when I read these poems. It made me sigh and wonder how I was able to cope up with those things. Then the next thing I know, I’m reading his chapbook all over again.

The words used on his poetry are like songs entwined with magic. Mr. Slais proved his talents and magical charisma on his first chapbook of poetry. It is a magical journey, digging deep into the person’s emotions. Getting Mice Verses Man poetry chapbook is one of the best things you can do in your life-no regrets.

Haiti haiku

his last haiku
he write his prayer
on the blood stained land

Cup of Tea Haiku

steam from his cup of tea
blinds his sadness
even for awhile

funeral almost over
visitors still pretend
to linger around

white China tea cups
all lined up in the kitchen table
mourning for you

Cup of Tea (Death haiku)

for unspoken words

funeral visitors hold onto

each other's cold hand

hot cup of tea

resting on his hand

numb from pain