Real Thirst


Book Description

The poems in Real Thirst are an exploration of the spiritual journey viewed through the mystic's eyes. This collection is a delightful blend of word and silence, presenting moments of contemplation punctuated with bursts of ecstatic insight. Real Thirst combines original poems by Ivan M. Granger with new translations of works by visionaries from both East and West: John of the Cross, Francis of Assisi, Symeon the New Theologian, Hakim Sanai, Tukaram, Sarmad, Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Vladimir Solovyov, Tulsi Sahib, and Antonio Machado. "The parched know - real thirst draws rainwater from an empty sky. Ivan M. Granger" ____________ Praise for "Real Thirst" ""This book... is a unique presentation from one who is both scholar and mystic, original poet and collector of others' works. Real Thirst should be in the library of any serious seeker on the path. It should be read aloud from pulpits and savored in the midnight devotions of the solitary seeker. It reminds us of who we are..."" DOROTHY WALTERS, author of "Unmasking the Rose" and "Marrow of Flame" ""I found Real Thirst to be a slow, cool and refreshing drink. I believe you will find these poems an antidote to the rush of your days."" JOHN FOX, author of "Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making" and "Finding What you Didn't Lose" ""Ivan M. Granger's poems not only invite us into reunion with the 'Thief of Hearts, ' each is actually a direct infusion of that dangerous, ecstatic meeting. Every page of this book is a luminous portal through the details of this world into the vastness of pure being. I will turn to these poems again and again for transport to the ineffable, for medicine to heal my restless mind, for a fierce and tender dose of the Beloved."" KIM ROSEN, author of "Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words" ""A delightful prism through which we see a delicate dance of fireflies and countless other wonders - poems, haiku and translations to illuminate the heart and the world."" GABRIEL ROSENSTOCK, author of "Haiku Enlightenment" and "Bliain an Bhande / Year of the Goddess" ""Ivan M. Granger has thrown open the doors of his body, heart and mind to the Infinite's expressions of Itself in this world... These poems touch all the heart-strings. I laughed, I shed tears, I fell into contemplative states, I felt awe and wonder, love and longing as I read his offerings... You'll want to return to this wellspring to quench your thirst over and over again."" LAWRENCE EDWARDS, Ph.D., author of "The Soul's Journey: Guidance From the Divine Within" and "Kali's Bazaar"




Marrow of Flame


Book Description

This beloved collection of poetry by Dorothy Walters exploring the spiritual journey through a mystic's eye is now available in this updated edition, with a new introduction by Andrew Harvey."This re-issue of Dorothy Walters's mystical masterpiece Marrow of Flame is a great literary and spiritual event. I don't know of any other poet currently writing in English who expresses so simply and nobly and with such authority the ordeals, ecstasies and revelations of the path to radiant embodiment. Whatever path you are on, read these quietly astounding love-poems to the Divine and let them guide you..."~ Andrew Harvey (from the Introduction to the 2nd edition)"These poems make me gasp. I thought all the great mystics had been gone for centuries... Dorothy Walters--part buddha, part elf--weaves mythic literacy with subversive compassion."~ Mirabai Starr, author of Saint Teresa of Avila and God of Love




Transcendent Sky


Book Description

"a New Earth born from aspiration's yearning fire." Transcendent Sky is a collection of poems that explore the spiritual essence of life and inspire the awakening of the Soul and Spirit towards greater enlightenment and self-awareness. Through a unique offering of inspiration, contemplation, and insight, this book of poetry expresses some of the author's inner experiences and personal reflections along the spiritual journey. It is a journey that evokes the Oneness of all of Life and the Divine Presence that dwells uniquely within each person. A meditation of words flow through these poems with the power to uplift, transform, and transport one's Being to inner realms of Light, Love, Beauty, and Consciousness. Poems in this collection include: Human Unity, Twin Flame, A Dance Called Yoga, Spirit of Change, Sunshine Dreams, Child, and Moonlit Contemplation.




The Spiritual Poems of Rumi


Book Description

The Spiritual Poems of Rumi is a beautiful and elegantly illustrated gift book of Rumi's spiritual poems translated by Nader Khalili, geared for readers searching for a stronger spiritual core.




Poetry as Spiritual Practice


Book Description

"[When we read and write poetry,] it is as if a long-settled cloud in our mind suddenly dissipates, and we are divine once again." -- from the Introduction Poetry is the language of devotion in prayer, chant, and song. Reading and writing poetry creates clarity, deepens and expands spiritual inquiry, and cultivates wisdom, compassion, self-confidence, patience, and love. In author Robert McDowell's words, poetry makes you into a tuning fork of the Divine. But poetry has disappeared over the centuries from religious ceremonies, academic curricula, and public discourse. In Poetry as Spiritual Practice, the first inspirational and instructional guide to combine poetry and spirituality, McDowell restores poetry as the natural language of spiritual practice and invites you to recognize poetry as "the pure sound and shape of your spirit." Vividly illustrated with a wide range of poems from all historical eras and poetic traditions, numerous religions and faiths, and McDowell's own and his students' work, Poetry as Spiritual Practice will reintroduce you to the unique pleasure of verse. And meditations throughout will allow you to integrate reading and writing poetry into your spiritual journeys and daily life. Since many of us have long forgotten, or never learned, the mechanics and terminology of poetry -- trochaic feet and tropes trip us up; we can't tell a villanelle from its shorter cousin, rondeau; and a terza rima may as well be a tanka -- this is also an instructional handbook on reading and writing poetry. An engaging guide through the landscape of world poetry, McDowell argues along the way for the many practical benefits of poetic literacy. Making poetry an essential part of daily rituals, aspirations, and intentions will put you on the path to greater meaning, growth, and peace in your life. At once an engaging technical primer, a profound meditation on the relationship between poetry and the Divine, and an inspirational guide for integrating poetry into spiritual practice, Poetry as Spiritual Practice will become a cherished companion.







Spiritual Poetry


Book Description

My spiritual poetry is for any and all whom are on a chosen path of spirituality or even contemplating their own path of spirituality. Our roads in life have many paths and learning experiences. To encompass these learning lessons as blessings is truly accepting who you are spiritually. My future book of poetry will represent the archangels and how they can and do help us when we call upon them for assistance in our lives. Being able to write such beautiful poetry leads me on my path to a deeper understanding of who we truly are.




Long Life


Book Description

"The gift of Oliver's poetry is that she communicates the beauty she finds in the world and makes it unforgettable" ( Miami Herald ). This has never been truer than in Long Life, a luminous collection of seventeen essays and ten poems. With the grace and precision that are the hallmarks of her work, Oliver shows us how writing "is a way of offering praise to the world" and suggests we see her poems as "little alleluias." Whether describing a goosefish stranded at low tide, the feeling of being baptized by the mist from a whale's blowhole, or the "connection between soul and landscape," Oliver invites readers to find themselves and their experiences at the center of her world. In Long Life she also speaks of poets and writers: Wordsworth's "whirlwind" of "beauty and strangeness"; Hawthorne's "sweet-tempered" side; and Emerson's belief that "a man's inclination, once awakened to it, would be to turn all the heavy sails of his life to a moral purpose." With consummate craftsmanship, Mary Oliver has created a breathtaking volume sure to add to her reputation as "one of our very best poets" (New York Times Book Review ).




The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse


Book Description

'A profoundly valuable collection, full of fresh perspective, and opening doors into all kinds of material that has been routinely neglected or patronized' Rowan Williams, TLS This rich and surprising anthology is a holistic, global survey of a lyric conversation about the divine, one which has been ongoing for millennia. Beginning with the earliest attributable author in all of human literature, the twenty-third century BCE Sumerian High Priestess Enheduanna, and taking in a constellation of voices - from King David to Lao Tzu, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the Malian Epic of Sundiata - this selection presents a number of canonical figures like Blake, Dickinson and Tagore, alongside lesser-anthologized, diverse poets going up to the present day. Together they show the breathtaking multiplicity of ways humanity has responded to the spiritual, across place and time.




The Soul of a Pilgrim


Book Description

The renowned author of eight books and abbess of the online retreat center Abbey of the Arts, Christine Valters Paintner takes readers on a new kind of pilgrimage: an inner journey to discover the heart of God. Eight stages of the pilgrim's way--from hearing the call to coming home--are accompanied by scripture stories of great biblical journeys and the author's unique and creative practices of prayer, writing, and photography. As she did in The Artist's Rule and Eyes of the Heart, Christine Valters Paintner once again helps readers travel to the frontiers of their souls to discover the hidden presence of God. In The Soul of a Pilgrim, Paintner identifies eight stages of the pilgrim's way and shows how to follow these steps to make an intentional, transformative journey to the reader's inner "wild edges." Each phase of the exploration requires a distinct practice such as packing lightly, being uncomfortable, or embracing the unknown. Paintner shows how to cultivate attentiveness to the divine through deep listening, patience, and opening oneself to the gifts that arise in the midst of discomfort. Each of the eight chapters offers reflections on the themes, a scripture story, an invitation to the practice of lectio divina, and a creative exploration through photography and writing.