James Soto

The Soul of a Plum Blossom: Poems for a Lady's Pillow Book James Soto

The poetry of Japan, this was an art form that was written in waka or tanka forms. Haiku would come later. The skill of writing was practiced by the nobility class. Poems that described everyday life were the subject. One subject was love. Lovers would use the written form of poetry to communicate to each other. The stories and poems from romances stored in these diaries were known as pillow books. A ladies? pillow book was exactly that. A small book contained a few dozen pages or more of poems or letters written by the lover. Usually the correspondences were sent covertly by themselves or a trusted courier. Kept secretly beneath pillows or mattresses in which the courtly women would read late at night, in the privacy of their bedroom. Romantic poetry and love letters, or notes all contain words of undying love, spoken from one heart and soul to another. Since man and woman began to communicate, one heart and soul has been reaching out to touch another heart and soul with written or spoken words. Eternal love could only be obtained by devoting the heart, mind and soul in harmony. In this book is a collection of haiku in free style and traditional haiku with several of free verse poems. Most of the poems have original art work.