{"product_id":"above-the-rushes-paperback","title":"Above the Rushes - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eSheila Smith McKoy\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA collection of haiku by Sheila Smith McKoy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eADVANCE PRAISE FOR \u003cem\u003eABOVE THE RUSHES\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sheila Smith McKoy's \u003cem\u003eAbove the Rushes\u003c\/em\u003e is rich in images that present her perception of nature and human nature, as exemplified in these two beautiful haiku (\"scattered leaves \/ warmth \/ of the Indian Ocean\" and \"last night of winter- \/ I trace your lips with my fingers \/ stained glass window\"), which stimulate one sense for another to enrich a physical experience and an aesthetic appreciation of life to balance an inner and outer self.\"\u003c\/p\u003eJohn Zhen, author of \u003cem\u003eDreaminations \u003c\/em\u003eand editor of \u003cem\u003eConversations with Lenard D. Moore\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"While Sheila Smith McKoy's offering of haiku is at times dreamlike, a mysterious rush of nightmares, readers can also bask in the wonders and fertile grounds of Africa. With attention to its rich earth of flora, wildlife, and ruins, her exploration haiku is infused with texture and harmony. It is evident that Smith McKoy revels in the discovery of ancestral roots and connections, yet, she also accomplishes haiku that grounds us in those present, ephemeral moments: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003edead deer lies \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003enear the curve \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eoff-white lily\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this first collection of haiku, we are offered and can indulge in the wide breadth of her closely sketched life journeys.\"\u003c\/p\u003eCrystal Simone Smith, author of \u003cem\u003eEbbing Shore\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eRunagate: Songs of the Freedom Bound\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Haiku writing is a journey; this book captures Sheila's. The haiku are about nature, family, arts, music and urban life. The book opens with a breath of fresh sea wind, captured beautifully in the 'scattered leaves' haiku. The author is bold and creative in the arrangement of pieces, we see a mixture: haiku followed by a haiku sequence, a meaningful bridge that takes the reader, from 'below the rushes' to \u003cem\u003eAbove the Rushes\u003c\/em\u003e - a place the author wants us to arrive! \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome of my favorite haiku include, 'ornate carved door': an African haiku with an African season word, 'misty sunset' and 'above the rushes'. This is one haiku book to have, a beautiful blend of nature-filled and urban haiku!\"\u003c\/p\u003eEmmanuel Kalusian, Co-founding Editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Mamba\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAfrica Haiku Network\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The haiku and haiku sequences in this collection bring together the worlds of nature, personal relationships, and dreams through lush imagery and innovative juxtapositions. Smith McKoy engages our senses and reveals surprising connections between the ordinary and the sublime, offering insights that deepen with each reading.\"\u003c\/p\u003eCe Rosenow, senior editor of \u003cem\u003eJuxtapositions: Research and Scholarship in Haiku\u003c\/em\u003e and editor of\u003cem\u003e Beyond Haiku: Japanese Forms in American Poetry\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Sheila Smith McKoy's book\u003cem\u003e Above The Rushes\u003c\/em\u003e is a tour de force; her haiku and sequences about Africa are memorable as they unravel with vivid imagery and good details. For example, her poem \"sunset sky\/leopard asleep in a tree\/wild berries\" contrasts such vastness with small beauty in the natural world. Her poems evoke emotions, brush colors on the canvas of the reader's mind, and inspires one to pick up pen to write haiku. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbove The Rushes is the book to teach about the African landscape; it also strums one's heart strings with the rhythms of jazz. Please read this book, because this writer highly recommends it for its American and African American historical contribution to the genre of poetry, particularly haiku. Let your sensory perceptions experience this feat.\"\u003c\/p\u003eLenard D. Moore, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Geography of Jazz\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.16 x 6 x 4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 01, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47942730809565,"sku":"9781970860986","price":12.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/1RoRzQsywl9781970860986.webp?v=1779259968","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/above-the-rushes-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}