Page 33 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 48

“Archway to Beyond” masterfully blends haiku, haibun, and prose, offering readers an enlightening journey into haiku’s cultural impact, history, and techniques. A captivating exploration for poetry enthusiasts and curious minds alike.
DE Navarro masterfully blends diverse life experiences and profound insights, creating poetry that resonates deeply with readers across cultures.
haiku and other poetry forms?
I was intrigued at a young age that different peoples of different cultures and languages had different ways of expressing themselves and thinking about
the world because of
corporate elite. I have “merged” myself and integrated myself into their lifestyles and ways of living to experience them for myself, to inform my writing of every character of every kind. I have also learned that all people are still basically the same and seeking the same answers in life no matter their social strata. This has allowed me to write haiku that expresses world views from beggars to high society—haiku that brings them all together in the same natural world with the same cycles and shows we are still all the same citizens of the world.
You have a strong background in linguistic analysis and have written poems in several languages. How does your understanding of different languages and cultures shape your approach to writing
es honor of nature and recognition of being part of the whole, while West-
ern thinking emphasized conquering nature and individual success. I have merged these two concepts in my haiku and urge Western readers to do the same, to embrace a little more of honor and respect for nature and the wake they leave as they pass.
Your work in the Bu-
kowski Erasure Poetry Anthology involves creating erasure poems based on Char- les Bukowski’s writings. What was your process for selecting and transforming Bukowski’s text, and what did you hope to convey through your contri- butions to the anthology?
Bukowski was one of those raw, street-people kind of writers and poets and saw the organic, senses-driven nature of human- kind. His works, in one sense, are anti-spiritual, down to basic earth elements, unabashed. My works tend to the transcendent and spiritual nature of man- kind. I wanted to explore the anti-spiritual to find the organic connection it had to choice between the material realm and spiritual. My aim was to show the philosophical and perhaps even hidden spiritual nature
of street life though creative engagement with his words.
Having served in the ministry for 38 years and completed a degree in Theology with a fo- cus on biblical languages, how do your spiritual and theologi- cal studies intersect with your poetic endeavors? Do you find that your poetry often carries spiritual or philosophical un- dertones?
I am absolutely a very spiritual and philosophical thinker, but I would not say
I’m religious. Religion is often characterized by a regimented liturgical way of living and thinking and I am opposite that, a free-wheeling, off-the-page
wanderer forging his own way and sharing it with others. I seek truth and higher spiritual under- standing in life, but not a reli- gious rigamarole. So yes, all my poetry and work carries spiritual and philosophical undertones.
With extensive experience as
a technical writer, editor, and medical editor, how do you balance the precision required in these fields with the creative freedom of poetry? What skills or practices from your techni- cal writing career do you find most beneficial in your creative writing?
the way their language taught their minds to perceive. Some languages are so emotionally expressive and some are logical. It is amazing to learn a language and think the way others think, not that the car is red, but red
One of the dichotomies of my life is that I can be so logical and analytical and yet incredibly creative. One personality assess- ment noted that only 6% of the world’s population has the same combination of scientific ana- lytical skills and creativity that
is the car. Poetry is filled with language tricks and techniques and being able to grammatically express things in ways others think has helped me to compose phrases that stir the English speaking mind in unique ways.
In A Tree Frog’s Eyes, you mention being influenced by both ancient Chinese poetry and the great Japanese haiku masters. Can you elaborate on how these influences have shaped your haiku style and the themes you explore in your poetry?
Eastern thinking emphasiz-
I have. I can’t vouch for their methods of determining that, but it sounded nice. In any case, I think of Einstein who is credited as saying his highest intellectual power was imagination. Not maths, not sciences, not astro- physics, not analytical ability, not logic, but his creative imagi- nation which led to his discover- ies. I can get inside the mind of my characters, my speakers, my personas so deeply and analyti- cally that I can creatively portray their colorful lives and words. So it’s a great combination to have in my opinion.
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