Poetry Commentary

Are you ready to immerse yourself in the spiritual and lyrical power of Rumi's Poetic Wisdom? This is a comprehensive selection of poems from one of Persia's most beloved poets. This book offers an unparalleled reading experience, as it takes you on a journey through Rumi's musings on purpose, love and humanity. Each beautifully crafted poem opens up new depths to explore as you discover the wisdom possessed by the 13th-century Sufi mystic, accompanied with thoughtful and detailed commentary by author and philosopher Cristo López, Ph.D. to help fully appreciate his profound words. Whether ...

Before he became an award-winning writer and poet, Brian Sonia-Wallace set up a typewriter on the street with a sign that said “Poetry Store” and discovered something surprising: All over America, people want poems. An amateur busker at first, Brian asked countless strangers, “What do you need a poem about?” To his surprise, passersby opened up to share their deepest yearnings, loves, and heartbreaks. Hundreds of them. Then thousands. Around the nation, Brian’s poetry crusade drew countless converts from all walks of life.

Photographic Memory: An Album of Illustrated Song Lyrics, is a musical double album in book form with eighteen original song lyrics, each one with an accompanying full color illustration or vintage photograph from the author’s collection. There are songs about adolescence, friendship, lost loves, pop music, the rise of fascism, time travel, scream queens, and not one, but two songs about the best actress you never heard of, Megan Ward. Photographic Memory: An Album of Illustrated Song Lyrics is a unique poetry book and a perfect gift for pop music lovers and illustration fans.

Du Fu (712-70) is one of China’s greatest poets. His career coincided with periods of famine, war and huge upheaval, yet his secular philosophical vision, combined with his empathy for the common folk of his nation, ensured that he soon became revered. Like Shakespeare or Dante, his poetry resonates in a timeless manner that ensures it is always relevant and offers something new to the modern generation. Broadcaster and historian Michael Wood follows in his footsteps to try to understand the places that inspired Du Fu to write some of the most famous and best-loved poetry the world has known.

Decades is a book of poems written from 1972 to 2008 representing the author's changing views over the years. The poems reflect a Catholic upbringing, hippie years with drug experimentation, the Viet Nam War, social commentary, growing old, being in love, and more.

One hundred and fifty poems of praise, hope, and prophesy fill the inspired book of Psalms. This verse by verse commentary explores each wonderful Psalm, finding the meaning, beauty, and message of love for the Master contained in each poem. Volume three covers Psalms 101-150.

Christian Wiman explores the relationships between art and faith, death and fame, heaven and oblivion. Above all, He Held Radical Light is a love letter to poetry, filled with moving, surprising, and sometimes funny encounters with the poets Wiman has known.

Ian Prattis’ new publication, Sacred Ceremony and Desert Legacy is another riveting medley of poetry and prose, autobiographical essays and a memoir of his mystical journey as a shaman and a Zen teacher. His gentle but powerful activism to save the Earth is the sacred glue fusing together all of the genres featured in this book. Prattis uses the power of the word to remind us to open our hearts and our senses to the natural world, to hear the symphony in the whale song, and marvel at the flight of geese, or to “see spring blossoms cast a rainbow in summer rain.” Prattis’ reflections...

This chilling tale of a gruesome monster unleashed into the world by an unthinking scientist was first conceived by 19-year-old Mary Shelley on a dark, rainy night on Lake Geneva. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley challenged their friends to see who could come up with the most horrifying story imaginable. Mary Shelley did, terrifying them all with her nightmare-inspired tale. It is followed by "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge which was an early haunting influence on the young Mary Shelley.

Why do the maggots don a spectral bite, feasting on the decaying heart of our world? The sediment carries the essence of blood through the Cache Creek drainage basin, tainted by the relentless gnawing of the maggots' dark society. The maggots transform from mere decomposers into creatures with a sinister bite, embodying the decay that plagues our world. The Teeth of Maggots melds the macabre with the mystical, drawing on the mysticism of African deities who contribute to the rot and corruption of the environment and politics. Through dark imagination and poetic exploration, these verses ...

Wondering aloud about people, getting caught up in the simplicities and complexities of everyday life...Young people voice their feelings, thoughts, questions, worries, and experiences. Some are poetry in motion, some pure speculation. Great for discussion pieces, can also be used as monologues. Family will recognize each other in the rumination of the day. Everyone has puzzlements, some more than others.

Rain in the Mountains brings together some of Ruskin Bond’s most beautiful works from his years spent in the foothills of the Himalayas in the town of Mussoorie. Through vivid images and lucid writing, Bond evokes the everyday sights and sounds, and captures the essence of mountain life. The musings on his natural habitat, in both prose and poetry, offer a view of that simple and affable world. Some of his writings featured in the book include: "Once Upon a Mountain Time", "Sounds I Like to Hear", "How Far Is the River" and "After the Monsoon".

One hundred and fifty poems of praise, hope, and prophesy fill the inspired book of Psalms. This verse by verse commentary explores each wonderful Psalm, finding the meaning, beauty, and message of love for the Master contained in each poem. Volume One covers the first fifty Psalms.

"Heard Mentality" delves into the profound consequences of hearsay and social shaming in contemporary society. Through a unique fusion of poetic storytelling, the narrative uncovers the deceptive nature of rumors and reveals the damaging effects of herd mentality on truth-seeking and justice. Drawing inspiration from world-renowned writers and contemporary rap, "Heard Mentality" combines artistry with intellectual inquiry, making it an engaging read for those interested in poetry, philosophy, ethics, and modern social issues. The story is set in a society of animals, crafting a vivid and ...

As you start your journey through the Bible, keep in mind that the great God who called Moses and the nation of Israel also wants to lead you. The same God who spoke to Moses speaks to you today. His message, alive and vibrant, is one told through the lives of men and women like Moses, Joshua and Miriam. The apostle Paul acknowledged this when he wrote to the church at Corinth: “Our forefathers were all under the cloud and…they all passed through the sea…. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come...

"It was the worst of times and it was the worst of times. Everyone was going nowhere and everyone was trying to jump on the bandwagon …" or so it might appear to those who have borne witness to a world that promises so little and delivers even less. The weight of history and the burden of expectation somehow conspire to ensure that youth is always wasted on the young. Cursing the darkness while conjuring up new, ever more defiant ways of fighting fire with fire, yet perplexing and all as it may have been, it cannot be said to have been without some sense of purpose. For what else is one ...

Kimberly Beyer-Nelson, who holds a master's degree in comparative religion, is a nationally published poet and author. She takes the listener on a very different kind of Biblical journey, one based in the language of poetry, intuition, and unity. Pulling from Sufi, Sikh, Buddhist, and Vedantic philosophy, her poetry illuminates the universal and human elements that makes all great scripture timeless.

Despite its economic conditions and poverty, Zimbabwe enchants, calls, and satisfies. Zimbabwe offers much opportunity for spiritual growth for the serious traveler.