Poetry That Heals
About this ebook
In this inspiring memoir, Naomi Beth Wakan takes the reader on a journey through her lifelong experiences writing various forms of Japanese poetry, especially haiku and its related genres. She explains the rules and structure that distinguish the various forms, providing many examples of her own work as well as poems from well-known historical and contemporary poets. Very importantly, however, Wakan shows by example that the "rules" are not to be taken as impediments, but rather as guideposts on the journey to discover and explore oneself. Looking back, Wakan realizes that her practice of poetry writing has enabled her to develop awareness, dispassionate interest, personal healing, and compassion. In her own words: "I have come to see that in creating poetry, I am creating myself."
About the author
Naomi Beth Wakan is a poet and personal essayist. She has produced over fifty books, her latest being The Way of Tanka (Shanti Arts, 2017). She is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Nanaimo and the Inaugural Honorary Ambassador for the Federation of British Columbia Writers. She lives on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada, with her husband, the sculptor Elias Wakan.
