In December 2011, I finally accomplished the goal of putting a book together of some of my poems. I decided to test the market with haiku and mostly shorter poems ( although I do have some long pieces in there too). Why Haiku you ask? Well even if you didn't , here are the answers:
1) I have always loved the economy of this form of poetry. As a storyteller , I can go on for a bit in order to both unfold the narrative and create dramatic tension. Haiku are an exercise in brevity for me. I now write one daily as a writing warmup.
2) About 3 years ago , I discovered Richard Wright's haiku. Black Boy, Native Son, Uncle Tom's Children, and many of his other books are some of the most incisive reflections of the Black male's psychological and emotional psyche( particularly from his time period. His haiku had deeper levels too. On the surface they are as beautiful as any nature reflection coming out of Japan( the originators of the form) On a deeper level, he was writing from the perspective of a very sick man who was grappling with issues of mortality. His haiku also reads very soulful. The funky twists and turns that he manages to present in 17 syllables , speak volumes to his mastery of both rhythm and vision. African American and universal meet in 3 lines. It inspires me to try to do the same.
3 ) I love Harlem.I take daily walks up and down its streets for creative inspiration. This village in Manhattan inspires my acting, storytelling, play writing , and poetry. These are mostly Harlem haiku.
4) The moon fascinates me. Unlike the sun, it changes form , and you can stare at it without going blind. It is everyone's personal night lover.
5) I wanted a place for my afro-alliteration to live. Read the book to see what I mean
6) It is self published. Amazon makes it very easy to do this . The book is available on Kindle( and kindle apps). Practically everyone with a smart phone , program on their computer, or a variety of other devices can read it.
7) Some other forms of my poetry are included. Love, lust, political, historical, and other afro-bit reflections are presented throughout.
8) The price is right. Under 5 bucks.
So what are you waiting for?...the moon awaits........remember That it is Kindle only (for now
The Moon Over Harlem: Haiku,Afro-Bits and other poems.
The moon chases me
Across my Harlem rooftop
She wants attention
You can sample more at www. Amazon.com
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