Hello, I’m David Eric (D.E.) Navarro and I’m very excited to be a part of the Authors’ Lounge at Readers Magnet. I started writing poetry at 8 years old and was first published at 18 years old in the Purdue Exponent Literary Edition, Winter Issue 1980. I’ve had many essays, articles, stories, and poetry published in various journals, reviews, magazines, and venues ever since. My publication credits include 6 books of my own poetry and essays, 2 anthologies I compiled and edited, which feature many other poets worldwide, and 8 books by other publishers where my work appears or is featured. My latest book is A Tree Frog’s Eyes which others have called my tour de force book. See my Amazon Author Page for more details.

A Tree Frog’s Eyes is the culmination of 40 years of study and practice in my haiku journey. In the Foreword of the book (click the link to read a free sample) I relate how I discovered Zen poetry and haiku as a displaced 19-year-old living on my aunt’s dining room floor, and how it enlightened me and initiated a lifelong journey of discovering myself as one with the universe. I explain the kind of heart and essence I endeavor to capture in my haiku—a kind of personal wonder, mystery, and sensitivity to the human condition in interaction with life and nature—a poetry of being and the dynamism of life activity. The essays show my love of life and nature in all its fullness, and the haiku and senryu capture that in succinct and powerful ways that only haiku and senryu can capture.

Life itself, and nature, are inspiration to higher endeavors, and so the fullness and richness of living life in this amazing universe in close connection to nature is what inspired me to write this book. In it I share these deepest and secret parts of myself with everyone who reads the book to the end that they also may be inspired by the awesomeness that is the life force and continuum of the universe of which they are a part. This is the driving force behind crafting and sharing the haiku and essays in this book.

A Tree Frog’s Eyes features 194 haiku/senryu, several essays on seasons, nature, and my life journey, and simple line art illustrations in each section.

This book is for all those who are looking, searching, craving to be more connected in life to nature and the universe, and also for those who already are on a journey of discovery in the same. Everyone who loves poetry and who loves nature should read this book. And anyone who sees life as a spiritual journey of discovery should also read this book.

My hope is that this book serves as a marker, a guidepost, for others in their own unique and individual journeys in this awesome life we all live. Even amidst this material world with its constant rush and confusion and endless cyber-world mind-feed there is peace and empowerment in nature. It’s a kind of “self-help” book of sorts as readers have expressed that it has encouraged them to find direction and gain purpose during the pandemic.

This book is an actual literary endeavor. One critic wrote:

“Written in simple yet profound diction, the haiku poems contained in this book compel deep introspection and thinking by the reader. I did not discover a single grammatical error in this book, which is quite rare. This is a great piece of literature for those who are experienced in haiku and those who want to understand more about this profound form of poetry.” ~~ Kennedy NC, Online Book Club

My goal and believing for this work is that it will gain wide appeal, inspire thousands of lives, enjoy great longevity into the future, and that it will make its mark on the literary world, specifically in the genre and long history of haiku.

Life is a wondrous adventure as I continue to wander, read, study, explore, and relate in words all that I come across to inspire, entertain, refresh, and uplift others. I frequently write my experiences and freely share new poetry in my life-journal blog called I Am A River. Click on the title to check it out and then follow my blog to be inspired and entertained and to get the latest updates on my projects and books.

I’ve lived in 14 states and 1 foreign country, served 10 years in the military, 35 years as a minister, 40 years as a haiku poet-philosopher, and held many interesting professional positions as I’ve journeyed through life. I have a lot more books in me, both fiction and non-fiction, and of course, poetry and haiku. So check out my website often at DE-Navarro.com to see what I’m up to. But most importantly, get a copy of A Tree Frog’s Eyes from your favorite bookseller and experience it for yourself. I am convinced you will find it to be as refreshing, powerful, and impacting a work as others have discovered it to be.