Kami

by Yoshiki Ashida

“KAMI” is a collection of poetry written about the relationship between You and KAMI, which is a sort of indissoluble tie. You do not exist without KAMI; KAMI does not exist without you.
As you exist, so KAMI exists, and watches your life. However, your own view is very different from KAMI’s view.　
Contents are: Beautiful Moment more than Eternity, Gift from God, Poetry that God gives His creatures, Forest Scene, All Beings and Creatures, Sacred Act, McDonald’s in Heaven, Summer Wind, Proof of Existence, Principle of Causality, Blue Bear, Guardian, Sin and Forgiveness, God’s Dream, Waking at Last Moment, Parting Words, Twilight Breeze, Rebirth...

Genres: Epic, Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Drama

50 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 2013

About the author

I was engaged in planning and development about information media in Dentsu Incorporated, Mitsubishi Corporation and Waseda University.
Now I am working on pictures and poems.
I strive for expression of a system of belief based on mystical insight into the nature of God and the soul.
Member of Nikkikai Artists Association
Long Term Exhibition at Fugetsusha Gallery in Shanghai, August 2015-September 2015
Winner's Exhibition of Japan Art Center 7th Nationwide Contest, January 2015
Published Poetry "KAMI" by KDP and CreateSpace, December 2014-January 2015

Reviews

[Sleepy Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kami by Yoshiki Ashida is a collection of poetry infused with a beautiful Japanese essence. The word choices, the flow, the double and triple meanings, all combine to mesmerising effect, taking the reader into a dreamlike state. As a lover of poetry, I find this collection to be stunning and addictive; every night I pick it up to read another poem, only for that one other to become ten or twenty.

There are some unusual black and white images to accompany the poems, and although their quality is not exceptional, they do add something to the experience. Many of the poems discuss God and spirituality, but not in a preachy manner as much as an introspective one. I found that as the collection went on, the poems became dark and melancholic, in contrast to the quirky charm of some earlier entries. I particularly like how Ashida adopted personification and other mechanisms, delivering them in such a matter of fact way as to suggest a flower or animal really has a human-like personality.

One of my favourite poems in the collection is called Forest Scene and as it sums up Kami perfectly, I thought I would share a little of its beauty:

Flowers seduce butterflies
to preserve their species
Hence, they think themselves
as greedy in the harsh world

Flowers!
Wake up to see your beauty
and truly witness yourselves
dazzling in the sunshine.