The origin of the term "ink zero" was the result of a brainstorming session we had towards the end of my September 2014 visit: to create calligraphic (shodo) brush-stroke paintings in the Japanese style, using sumi-e ink on drawing paper. These works likewise appear here. It's our hope that the joy and creative friendship we've experienced in weaving our hearts and minds together with poetry and visual art communicate both the spontaneity and the successive series of excessively late nights which have hatched this project. Without the energy and flow-the mysterious threading and wending of collaborative friendship-we would have each produced separate works. Instead, we find our combined effort approaches an alpha and omega of mutual lives: living whole, and for the day. It's this poignant and ephemeral spirit we wish to share, and offer our experiment here as one possible approach to haiku publication. Richard Gilbert March 17, 2015