"A Crown of Roses" by Sayumi Kamakura is a wonderful book of haiku poems for all readers, young and old. It is based on contemporary haiku poems and cuts across the spectrum of haiku worldwide. While others are arguing about the form, style, and syllable count of each line comprising a haiku poem, Sayumi Kamakura has avoided such sequencing of analysis-paralysis, and has continued with her writing of haiku poems in a contemporary manner without such unnecessary and arbitrary restrictions.

Beginning with the forward section in this book, A Crown of Roses, James Shea sets the stage with a marvelous interpretation of one haiku poems written by Kamakura, which shows the circle of life as follows:

A cold circle

called God

or the sun.

This haiku is a reflection of live in general, how it changes over time, its impermanent state of being, and ability to be hot and cold in a flash or winking of an eye. The seasons of the year are prime examples.

The haiku poems in this book are written in Japanese and English for the benefit of readers from both countries. This should afford readers to follow her vision from the words embedded on the pages of her book. Imagine the imagery in this poem:

A ballon,

a deck of a ship,

and a bright sun in May.

The alliteration style of Kamakura in the alignment of this haiku is wonderful. The feel of the "A" sound in reciting each line of this poem goes back to the beginning of the alphabets and the vowels. This is the sound one should make in such a wonderful situation as this imagery-Ahh!

Regarding nature and objects which brings nature together, the rock is deliberated in one of her haiku poems. Imagine the naturalness of a rock formation from creation in this poem:

Back to the rock

in the field,

a rainbow returns here.

The end of the rainbow has a pot of gold waiting; fairytale of not, it's just fascinating. Returning to ground zero where it all started is a wonderful vision of life.

Divided into six sections plus the forward, this marvelous book is packed with haiku poems for the soul. Kamakura, who is the editor of Ginyu International Haiku Journal, has written several volumes of haiku poetry over the years and has won many prizes. She started writing haiku poems while studying at Saitama University in Japan and is an outstanding poet and author.