New Book of Poems, Turning Pages

Hello everyone. I just wanted to announce that I have a new book out entitled Turning Pages, released July 30th. Turning Pages is a collection of 80 poems that I have dedicated to my wife, Darlene. It is Japanese inspired and each stanza uses the meter of a haiku, 5-7-5 except the third stanza that is one line of 7 syllables, causing the poems to take on an expanded Japanese tanka feeling also. Tanka poems are short, lyrical pieces structured in 31 syllables. They are arranged in groups of 5, 7, 5, 7 and 7, syllables, in a two-part form with the first part in 5, 7, 5, and the second part in 7 and 7. What I have done with these poems is created a butterfly effect with the syllables structured first stanza 5, 7, 5, second stanza 5, 7, 5, third stanza 7, forth stanza 5, 7, 5 and the fifth stanza 5, 7, 5 as well.

The thematic elements revolve around a Japanese priest named Ajari-Joan. It is also loaded with a lot of philosophy, theology, science and natural law and at times is almost Flarfist in that it was largely researched by long stumblings through information found in search engines, which I felt was appropriate to Ajari-Joan's legend. The encompassing idea of the collective work is existential though as it works to describe life, death and the human experience. The poems also touch on transcendence and the idea of a higher existence or the understanding of a never ending existence through a constant recycling of finite matter.

The legend of Ajari - Joanstates that the priest lived in a temple at the top of a mountain (Hakkotsu - San), but after entering the village at the base, fell in love with a beautiful young woman. Ajari - Joan broke his vows only to go insane, cursed with wandering the mountain until, in his old age, he regained his wits, sat down and began to pray. As the priest died his bones continued to pray and it is said that one can still hear his haunting chants today onSkeletonMountain.

You can find the book at the Author site http://turningpages.books.officelive.com at the Agogeebic Press site http://gogebicbooks.com/featured/034.html and on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Pages-J-Carey-Jr/dp/098223905X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1279677013&sr=1-1 . I hope anyone that reads these poems enjoys them as much as I enjoyed writing them. Thanks again for visiting.

Sincerely,J L Carey Jr