Poetry of Presence I & II

“A beautiful collection of poetry that sings like music. It opens the heart and invites mindful loving awareness into the rhythm of every part of life.”

⎯Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart

“These mindfulness poems help us wake up to the suffering of people who are different from us. That’s a long process—I’ll be waking up until the moment I die. But once we start to wake up, we enter the conversation on human rights. We want to tend those afflicted by the ways of this world. God was sneaky, giving us beautiful poetry to get us involved!”

—Sister Helen Prejean, leading voice for death penalty abolition, author of Dead Man Walking and River of Fire

“This extraordinary collection of poems reminds us that we’re not meant to live alone. It affirms what we have in common as human beings, as well as what makes us unique. It invites us, even in the midst of struggle and heartache, to choose to be present in relationship with others, offering radical acceptance, kindness, and courage.”

—Rabbi Karyn Kedar, author of Amen: Seeking Presence with Prayer, Poetry, and Mindfulness Practice

“The editors understand how to present a collection of diverse poems. After all their work, they have the wisdom to pull back the curtain and let the poetry take center stage. Their generosity presents readers with a book to be savored—set on a bedside table, read in the kitchen, carried in a purse or briefcase … one poem at a time, let loose in our hearts and minds.”

—Christina Baldwin, author of The Seven Whispers and Storycatcher

“Looking deeply at the lives they live and encounter, these poets honor the organ donor, the worker who mops up blood and excrement from hospital floors, the startling nobility of a disabled teen . . . so many people, moments, and things we often fail to notice or turn away from. Thank you, poets, for opening our eyes and our hearts.”

—Richard Brady, author of Walking the Teacher’s Path with Mindfulness: Stories for Reflection and Action