Michael Neal Morris Books

Haiku, Etc. takes a modern approach to haiku and its related forms, without losing sight of a variety of traditions. The book contains three sections. First, is "before me the black road curves," which includes haiku, senryu, and tanka poems. Next comes a selection of three renga titled "crossings." Closing the book is a section titled "outline of distant trees," a selection of eyeku (haiku written in response to pictures -- photos not included). Instead of the tradition arrangement of poems by seasons, the author has elected to present most of the pieces in a reverse chronological order, allowing the readers to take their own journeys in and out of the images and events.

This book includes poems published between 2009 and 2012 mostly, whose themes of domestic life, work, suffering, and redemption still resonate. The collection includes free verse poems, as well as works using and experimenting with forms. A number of previously unpublished pieces have been added, including a selection of haiku ("Bony Tree Fingers"). Long time fans may remember the three sequences on grief in the section titles "Three Laments." Representing a significant phase in the author's career, the volume should be an important part of any poetry lover's collection.