{"id":5947,"date":"2025-11-20T19:24:35","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/?page_id=5947"},"modified":"2025-11-20T19:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:25:50","slug":"the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura’s Journey Through Life and Loss in ‘A Crown of Roses’"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura’s Journey Through Life and Loss<\/strong><\/p>\n

in ‘A Crown of Roses’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Publisher: Cyberwit.net, India<\/strong><\/p>\n

Reviewed by Maria Cristina Azcona<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura.\u00a0 The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself and translation to English, provided by James Shea and Jim Kacian.<\/p>\n

Sayumi is not one of too many. She is called to be remembered as one of the most important Haiku poetesses, worldwide, since she is able to produce haikus that have colorful images, a coherent story and a philosophical meaning, underneath.<\/p>\n

This book presents orthodox haikus, although the author flies beyond the limits that the technical structure imposes, being this, her major virtue. This oscillation among classical structures and a singular, unique way to write the haikus, make a genial, exquisite mixture in Sayumi\u00b4s poetry. The reader takes immediate contact with her delicate soul, not free from melancholy and isolation. Her flowered imagination submerges the reader from the very beginning, in Japanese cultural meanings.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

She sends the reader\u00b4s daydream from near to far away, making the visions to be panoramic and very rich. Easily manages our imagination and takes power over our feelings too.<\/p>\n

For the Stone Queen<\/em><\/p>\n

Far in the distance<\/em><\/p>\n

A crown of roses<\/em><\/p>\n

The book includes lively events in her life story, expertly combined so that they serve as support to the author\u00b4s philosophical reasoning, just as it is expectable from an experienced and talented poetess like she is, and much more considering the technique she uses: Haiku. It is organized in six parts, where the author writes some kind of an autobiography.<\/p>\n

Sayumi builds a subjectivist story, not as much by the presence of metaphors, but by the permanent presence of psychic, emotional, affective and cognitive state of the author superposed to reality, There is a proliferation of ironic references to the feminine condition and a humorous point of view over feminine attitudes and dramas that fit perfectly in the haiku technique. She is master in generating these small poems that lock up enormous reflections, without also stopping being great truths.<\/p>\n

Stupidly,<\/em><\/p>\n

the floating ice<\/em><\/p>\n

enjoys the rays of sun<\/em><\/p>\n

The book is centered in the reflections on the life, the agedness, what happens to husband and wife relationship on time, and ironies on human spirit. She knows how to portray the human soul.<\/p>\n

The first part presents successive states of mind during a trip around Europe.<\/p>\n

I swallowed<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

a piece of parsley\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Did I lock the door?<\/em><\/p>\n

The second part is classical, and seems to be written in a different moment, probably before the trip.\u00a0 All is light, outdoor images and calmness.<\/p>\n

Blue from mountains<\/em><\/p>\n

to humans, sometimes<\/em><\/p>\n

it whirls<\/em><\/p>\n

In the third part she becomes meditative in an increasing way.\u00a0 She intentionally mixes her own inner world and\u00a0 her external environment, human and not human, remarking the contrast<\/p>\n

Water for an iris<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

that falls easily\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

and wine for you<\/em><\/p>\n

Always suggestive, she recreates an unreal space where the conjugal relationship reaches to be an interesting, dramatic tale where sadness filters up, exposing the crisis after monotony, that come usually on the aging. Everything in harmony: nature repeats and annunciates the cycle in her life, as she presents it in the book:\u00a0 Spring, but soon the autumn and the winter, and she with her husband, in the middle of this, a cycling life in declination as everything.<\/p>\n

In the fourth part she seems to speak of her own familiar life when she says, honoring Chi-yoni<\/p>\n

Pale blue threads<\/em><\/p>\n

from each baby spider<\/em><\/p>\n

escaping from their home<\/em><\/p>\n

Haikus, at the fifth part, interconnect the author with other human beings, moving away without letting apart, her orthodox reference to the small natural elements. Doubtlessly, this author knows how to let us know about her inner world when she writes:<\/p>\n

I cannot get there\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

even though<\/em><\/p>\n

I carry these roses<\/em><\/p>\n

The author gains our attention and never looses it. Her key is her own authenticity, since she does not lie, ever. Only presents her naked spirit in front of us, without any dubitation. She knows this is the price to become a famous writer and she pays it instantly. She gives herself to us, with her head ornamented with a crown of roses.\u00a0 She writes from her own inner world, with certain emaciated irony, and from soul to soul, generating the miracle of communication through the insight that only true poets know how to reach up.<\/p>\n

I swallowed<\/em><\/p>\n

a piece of parsley\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Did I lock the door?<\/em><\/p>\n

Here, in the fifth part is where it remembers me to the great Basho teacher, being successful in obtaining the identification of human spirit with the small natural element, indicating the absolute inherent fragility to our condition, like parts of the nature, in our insignificant existence, far from arrogance.\u00a0 This communication that comes from her otherness unifies the universe from where she writes, (from her own literary schemes, in her own\u00a0 poetic spirit and her own cultural baggage), to arrive without scales to the reader\u00b4s soul, skin and feeling.<\/p>\n

Finally the author succeeds in managing my emotions. Her book affects me, exposing my own age, my own feminine condition and even my marital life and connects with me from that condition, the female condition.<\/p>\n

She forces me to become her co-conspirator as rebels in the drama of life. Now we are not a writer and her reader, but only two women in our maturity, anticipating oldness, and finally death.<\/p>\n

For a coffin,<\/em><\/p>\n

a window,<\/em><\/p>\n

for the sea, the wind<\/em><\/p>\n

As we see, the work of Sayumi is universal because of its sincerity.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n

\"\"Maria Cristina Azcona<\/strong> is a bilingual poet, educational psychologist, and family counselor based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A global peace advocate, she serves as President of WWPO, Co-founder of ICP Global, and Vice President of Peace, Art, and Culture. Azcona has contributed to UNESCO\u2019s EOLSS Encyclopedia and holds honorary roles at institutions such as Columbia University and the University of Oslo. She has authored or co-authored over 20 books in English and Spanish, and was honored with the 2022 Biju Patnaik International Peace Award in India.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura’s Journey Through Life and Loss in ‘A Crown of Roses’ Publisher: Cyberwit.net, India Reviewed by Maria Cristina Azcona \u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura.\u00a0 The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself and translation to English, provided by James […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5947","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Afflatus Creations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-20T19:25:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"302\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"323\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/\",\"name\":\"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133-280x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-20T19:24:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-20T19:25:50+00:00\",\"description\":\"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg\",\"width\":302,\"height\":323},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura’s Journey Through Life and Loss in ‘A Crown of Roses’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/\",\"name\":\"Afflatus Creations\",\"description\":\"An Apex Online International Journal\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Afflatus Creations\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-afflatuscreations.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-afflatuscreations.png\",\"width\":1836,\"height\":2991,\"caption\":\"Afflatus Creations\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations","description":"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations","og_description":"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself","og_url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/","og_site_name":"Afflatus Creations","article_modified_time":"2025-11-20T19:25:50+00:00","og_image":[{"width":302,"height":323,"url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/","url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/","name":"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura's Journey Through Life and Loss in 'A Crown of Roses' - Afflatus Creations","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133-280x300.jpg","datePublished":"2025-11-20T19:24:35+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-20T19:25:50+00:00","description":"\u201cA Crown of Roses\u201d is a bilingual book of Haiku poetry by Sayumi Kamakura. The book provides a Japanese version by the author herself","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Picture133.jpg","width":302,"height":323},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/the-authentic-voice-sayumi-kamakuras-journey-through-life-and-loss-in-a-crown-of-roses\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Authentic Voice: Sayumi Kamakura’s Journey Through Life and Loss in ‘A Crown of Roses’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/","name":"Afflatus Creations","description":"An Apex Online International Journal","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#organization","name":"Afflatus Creations","url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-afflatuscreations.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/cropped-afflatuscreations.png","width":1836,"height":2991,"caption":"Afflatus Creations"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5947"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5951,"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5947\/revisions\/5951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/afflatuscreations.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}