What I've Just Realized

Born in a small town in Tokyo, Haruna Rei published her first book of poetry in 2001 at the age of 28. She has since written many works of poetry, tanka, prose, and critics. What I've Just Realized, collection of poems selected from the 2001 book, is her first book in English translation. The twenty-seven works in this volume include poems on youth, railroad, dawn, family, orangutan, teddy bear, verb, and all of the poems in some way have love for our everyday lives and, therefore, the natural world surrounding us. Her light touch, nothing too difficult, at the same time nothing too lowbrow, has acquired many proponents. She is also an acclaimed reader and has read her own poems on many occasions and arenas. From 2009 she publishes yearly magazine "Blue Train" to which, in addition to her own works, many famous poets, critics, and writers contribute. She lives in Japan with her family.