This book has lots of colors and quite nice illustrations. I'm not so sure why it is called Haiku Inspirations as it is much more history than inspiration. There were some nice haikus as well and it is a well-researched book, one that is very interesting to read.

I didn't find inspiration in this or even meditations. It was still an enjoyable read.

A cute book of haikus. Fun and colorful illustrations. An enjoyable read.

outside the door

daylight

waits

A beautiful, elegant collection of 81 haiku poems, most of them inspired by the winter season, though the other seasons are also represented. The majority are three-liners, but a small few are other lengths, including one, two and four lines:

one line:

the park bench seats two summer dreams

two lines:

deserted tennis court

   wind through the net

four lines:

all

the daylight gone –

her songs

to her granddaughter

I love every single one, each evocative in some way or other. This is my second read through and, for some of the poems, the meaning remains fixed (like coffee in a paper cup), but a few have new or weightier significance. If you love haiku poems, get this. Also, I’d love some recommendations! I’m definitely buying this collection, Take-Out Window, edited by Gary Hotham. 

waiting up––

one hand warms

the other

(this is one whose meaning has evolved, infused with more, I think, gravitas)

If you have any interest in Japanese poetry, especially those considered to be among of the great classics, then I highly recommend you check this book out. It focuses on Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki. It contains a short bio on each one of these classic poets and features a great amount of their works. This book also includes a few other poets that wrote poetry on the seasons.

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it to be informative and influential on a creative and spiritual level. I especially loved the poems of Issa and Shiki the most.

Give this book a read! I think you might find some of the poetry to be to your liking!