Here's more of Satabdi's wonderful review: 

"THE HAIKU YEAR It's simply overwhelming! Oh! What a flush of colors and onomatopoeic exploration from the very first lines. Almost denouncing winter in the prelude, Bates doesn't hesitate to praise it when winter at last arrives. We are warm, we enjoy the coziness as well as the brutal coldness. "Snow lovers are thrilled," even though there are warnings of blizzards. Here lies the skill of a good poet who can blend opposites so harmoniously. In amongst nature, Bates thoroughly depicts other creatures. The birds occupy not a small space in the poem. They have their own special colors to adorn the sky. In the haiku structure, what struck me was the poet's astonishing expressions, a strong element in poetry in general. Walking amongst the roses, the gentle murmur of the fountain wakes up the subtle nuances of the Wordsworthian feeling of peace and tranquility. To maintain the equilibrium the poet offers a striking contrast simultaneously with the winter prelude of "bone- cold thick grey skies" and then again, the pleasure of seeing the serene falling of snow on the "greens" I just can't avoid mentioning this stanza, "Above midnight land/ silver sliver moon rising/Soft serenity" What an excellent alliterative euphony! Honey sweet to the ears! Jim Bates, I just loved it. Thank you."

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