LatinosUSA

Through the eclectic use of poetic form and genre ranging from prose poems, elegy, lyric and narrative poems, as well as haiku, sonnets and more, Poetry for Living an Inspired Life takes the reader on a poetic journey through the evolution of the human spirit while embracing fully the duality of the human condition. The poems in part I of Poetry for Living an Inspired Life were Divinely inspired through the use of a meditation practice taught by Neale Donald Walsch, a modern-day spiritual messenger. This illuminated work sets the stage with a meditative tone that promotes peaceful inner-silence. Each poem gently guides the reader to ponder their purpose, perhaps with a shift in understanding, and thus intention. Part II showcases poems, many of which have been published in fine literary journals, and were written during the poet’s extensive travels. Unexpected settings from a New York City subway, to the coastal home of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, to Colorado ghost towns, and the driest desert on earth, transform the arm-chair traveler, through use of language invoking a powerful and passionate sense of place. Ranging in tone and pace, from the soul of the city to the silence of the forest, the poems in Poetry for Living an Inspired Life, reflect the work of the many poets who have influenced this highly innovative work. From the bucolic beauty of Mary Oliver’s poems, to the probing poems of Louise Gluck, as well as the romantic and quizzical nature of Pablo Neruda’s work, and the spiritual nature of Rumi, Poetry for Living an Inspired Life invites the reader to revision themselves and the world in which we live. As much for poets and writers as for readers who have never read poetry, the poems in this book are written in accessible, straightforward language, which draws readers into this broad body of work and back to themselves renewed.

Sample Poems

For Van Gogh – A Portrait in Words

We caught glimpses of you
In whirling fields of showered light
And meadows lined in gold and blue;
In the sulfur sun’s reflection
On coiled and twisted sea-green skies;
In the burning stars so high on your horizon,
You have drawn us in
To your tranquil winded countryside
Where you lived for what you loved
Among the brush.

~~

In Search of Neruda

On Isla Negra, I close my eyes
beside Neruda’s grave, my back to the Pacific.
Fluid as he was, he never learned to swim.
He treasured the sea from afar.
Three times I’ve wandered this shoreline,
with small birds poking at rocks.
Kites wave and seagulls rise to greet them.
Forests of algarrobo and pine dress the cliffs.
Neruda, I came to your home in the heart
of the wind, like smoke from a flame.
There’s autumn moon glow on the wing
of the golden eagle, in your tower bedroom.
Tell me, how many churches remain in the sky?
The low, slow, steady rhythm of your voice
rides in on the surf.

I feel it begin to surround me.

What Do Readers Say?

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved these poems!!!

I really loved this book of poetry by the talented Michele Harvey, who has a special way with words. Each poem was an episode of love, loss, hope, enchantment, empowerment or wonder, encompassing a wide array of emotions and experiences without the encumbrances of cliche. Many of the poems poignantly explore the spiritual and natural world and each is novel and original on its own. My favorite poems were Understanding, Recognition, Seasons and Reasons, Sunrise, Finding You, and there were beautiful poems about Chile and even one inspired by the famous poet Pablo Neruda.

I love poetry that is original and wholly the poet’s very own, but that is also understandable and accessible. It doesn’t help the reader when the poet talks in such metaphor and atonal ways that we have no idea what is being expressed. There is a beautiful balance of originality and accessibility in these poems. The essence is transferred so well from the poet to the reader!

– Indigobookshelf

~~

“Poetry for Living an Inspired Life” paints vivid inner landscapes, transporting us around the world to —exotic places, layered with deep human truths.

I read Michele Harvey’s book of poetry with strong fascination —I fell in love with the words from the beginning because, like with any great poet, the author lived her experiences with soul then shared them with us with heart.

Somehow allowing her words to penetrate us, we are wiser for it —perhaps healed.
This body of work is inspired, therefore, also —INSPIRING! If I had to choose some poems that captured me, then “Surrender” “Realization” “Clarity” “In Search of Neruda” “The Desert of Northern Chile” and “Atacama Rain” are a few. You will discover many more.

Michele Harvey’s transformational power to heal is intended to lift us from the ashes by inviting us to LIVE —the life we’re offered. I recommend this book for those seeking travel, gurus, and legends.”

– Richard Silvia, Author, Poet, Songwriter, Founder of Yesrising.com 

~~

Purchase Links

Paperback:

eBook: