Tag: Tanka

Art is Poetry and Poetry is Art

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A Book Review

Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power of Japanese Art by Hikari & Gabriela Marie Milton. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

As a lover of Haiku and Tanka, it was quite the no-brainer that I would purchase this book. From Literary Revelations, the creatively astute publishing house of Gabriela Marie Milton and team, Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power of Japanese Art titillates and transports the reader to a place of ecstasy, renewal of self, and undeniable peace.

The artwork, produced by Hikari, their Resident Artist, is visually hypnotizing and allows one to enjoy the beauty accompanying every poem. Her art and words, alongside those of Gabriela’s, shine perfectly on every page. This is a masterful duo, and I am truly happy I dove headfirst into its brilliance.

Below is the review I shared on Amazon and Goodreads:

Refreshingly Inspirational

This is how I would describe Haiku and Tanka: Lull, Harmony, and Power in Japanese Art. Every page is a walk along a path guided by impressive imagery expressed in words and tremendous watercolor/painted art that stands out, and is more than luring to the curious eye.

Both Tanka and Haiku read as if they were calculated and meticulously matched with every photo, as well as marked for exemplary collaboration. Hikari and Gabriela did an outstanding job with their verses, and it is evident that care and craftsmanship were at the top of their list regarding creating this masterpiece.

A few lines that stood out to me from several pieces are:

“wounded eyes weep,” page 16.
“tease me
the silence in my voice
flickers in your eyes,” page 28
“like a sublime
and beautiful crown,” page 36
“Yearns for burning love,” page 36
“yet your song grazes my shoulder
brushes softly past my soul,” page 56…

To say that this book of measured and timeless verses is an excellent show of poetry in form is a bold understatement. It is two massively creative worlds morphing into one–a hybrid of synchronized verbal harmony.

I am glad this offering was shared with us, and I look forward to experiencing many more collaborations by Hikari and Gabriela Marie Milton.

Where the world of visual art and Japanese syllabic poetry meet, there is a place for the reader’s eyes and the writer’s heart, and I am so glad I got a chance to rest there.

Take my word, you’ll find a place of solace between these pages. You sincerely will.

Scattered Words: Poems for Jernee Timid Loadholt is available now! Have you gotten your copy? Hardcover|eBook

spinning (again)

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there is no peace now
one person has damaged us
our higher ups f a i l e d
a meeting brought out our beasts
an unsolved problem lingers

On Thursday, March 27, 2025, we received an email from HR about their “investigation”, and I’ll simply say it was a waste of my time. So, I spoke with the center manager of the site where I am placed, and she’ll be working on creating a job for me so I can stay at the facility.

But she’s already said if I’m not doing the genetic testing for cancer screening, she doesn’t want the testing and company connected to it there anymore.

These people have forgotten that I was an employee at the site where they placed me for over 2 years. Upper Management loves me. The staff love me. I interact well with the patients. I am a valuable asset and they know this.

So, prayerfully, I’ll be putting my notice in with my current company in the next month, maybe two, at the latest. And it may not even be that long. The beauty of it all is that I get to stay at a facility where I feel at home because of my history there.

The center manager is going to start getting things going early next week. She was off yesterday and will be off again on Monday. I am prayerful she will be able to iron out all kinks with those in positions above her to keep me there. After she explains what has taken place, I am sure their organization will want to detach themselves from my current company.

My co-worker will be working with her center as well. Her center manager is doing the same thing for her. Our other co-worker has a great rapport with her previous job. She simply wanted to try something new. So she can return there.

And it’s best for us because yesterday, Friday, March 28, 2025, we had another meeting with our supervisor and a rep from HR was on the call – they wanted to monitor us. And the supervisor has no wherewithal of what she’s done wrong, just ignorant, and must’ve thought we were going to just sit there and take her power point explanation and the act of trying to gaslight us.

NOPE! She got her hind-end handed to her professionally by all three of us. We came correct in our interaction with her and called out her lies while holding in our anger and forcing ourselves to be polite under the active re-triggering we had all been subjected to.

She said something offensive that truly struck a chord in me and before I knew it, I was breaking her down like IKEA furniture, and my younger co-worker (she’s in her early 20s) said to me, “As soon as you started talking and using all them big words, I know you lost them cuz it went over their heads, but I was listening, and I was like, “YES, TRE!” Needless to say, she was proud of me.

I am proud of both of them because we have endured an event in the workplace we never wanted to and now the damage is done. Our image of Human Resources is sullied and is forever etched in our minds as a department WE (women of color; Black women) cannot trust.

spinning (the beginning)

Six

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We celebrated one of my favorite little humans’ sixth birthday yesterday, and we all had such a great time!

Caison is growing up so fast, and time isn’t being kind in allowing me to enjoy his growth at a slower pace.

But that’s life with the wee ones, isn’t it?

I have this feeling that my baby cousin will do great things when he gets older. I am claiming it and walking in my manifestation for him.

Caison Michael at his flag football game on his birthday; October 07, 2023. Photo Credit Tremaine L. Loadholt
Our birthday song to him. Video credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Packaged joy and smiles
For a handsome six-year-old
Makes my heart happy
Time cannot be stopped for him
And with this, I must find peace

sustenance

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a tanka

Pictured Poetry. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

On some mornings, I reminisce while I’m cooking; I think about him, think about her, and then I move on.

*For those of you who might be wondering about the non-traditional usage of the form: I went with 5-7-5-7-5 instead of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables for this one. Also, it’s about food & love; not your typical tanka subjects. Sometimes for literary art, you’ve gotta be a bit of a rebel.