An Island of Plumerias

In recent years, I have become fascinated by the plumeria. One associates the plumeria with beauty, charm, and grace: each of which naturally complements references to the plumeria's elegance. Guam-the largest island in Micronesia-has been home to the most productive years of my life, which have often found expression in my works of poems. The quarter of a century that I have spent in Guam seems like an extremely long time. At the same time, I feel that they passed so quickly. Throughout my time here, I kept one idea in mind. . . that I should bloom where God has planted me. Flowers of Guam-such as the hibiscus, bougainvillea, plumeria, along with flame tree blooms, visible everywhere in Guam-became friends who soothed me. This book is a collection of tanka poems. Tanka, Japan's most time-honored form of poetry, is an ideal form of poetry to express my feelings, and these flowers populate my tanka. Poetry is indeed an art form expressing creativity and skills, in forms that offer a universal language. The human emotions expressed in poetry are also universal. For these reasons, poetry has a unique power to inspire thoughts and to share feelings among people anywhere in the world.

Autorentext

Yukiko Inoue-Smith, PhD, Professor Emerita, has been extensively involved in work with tanka. She is the author of two collections of essays and eighteen books of tanka poems. Two recent tanka books are: Love, Beauty, and Hope; and Ancient Form, Modern Soul. Her journey in search of where she belongs will continue, with two cats as companions.