“From the depths of a place / maddened with fearful joy, / my soul awakes and seeks for its own.” Thus begins the journey of the aspirant in the poem Evolution. Evolution is part of a new collection of one hundred and eight poems entitled Surfacing: A Poetic Journey of The Self. Truly inspiring, Karuna Devi’s poems touch upon the very heart of spiritual life embracing every aspect of what is at once weak and strong in the human spirit. Though the majority of the poems have a Yogic/Eastern context, the author’s upbringing as a Catholic is also evident. The boundaries of dogma disappear as Christ and Krishna become one in the same object of devotion.
Beautifully written, Karuna’s poetic language is filled with symbolism and metaphor yet remains lucid and simple, honest and true. Beginning with Praseed (a word used in prayers to the Divine Mother which means “be pleased”) and ending with the title poem Surfacing, each page takes the reader through an ever expanding landscape of the inner psychology. Some of the other titles in this work include: Brahman of the Upanishads, Guru, Inner Mystic, Voices of Vedanta, Revelation, Lotus, Chant, Dissolution and Glory, Hills of Frankincense and Asana.
The final three pages consist of The Dialogue, a stream-of-conscious writing in which an interior dialogue flows between the questioning seeker and the omniscient Source Supreme. It powerfully summarizes the path, means and goal of what we call Yoga or union with The Divine. A glossary is included as well to reference Sanskrit and other unfamiliar terms and phrases.
The entire book makes for an attractive display as local artist Ilia Pasymansky’s cover art is extraordinarily vibrant and captivating. Two swans wander upon the ocean of life, an orange sun surfaces up through the darkness while in the foremost center is the cosmic OM which neither rises nor falls but always is.
This collection of poems takes the reader on an unforgettable journey where every page reveals The Self in all its wonder and glory. Every poem shines like jewels of devotion, the kind of devotion which comprises the crown of our spiritual success. On page ninety four, Evolution leaves the reader with these words: “I am here amongst you now, / but a deathless voice conjures me / to rise and become the extent- / and it is only natural that I go.” So what exactly is Surfacing? Timeless Truths, the lightness of Love and an ever reckoning voice of The Divine, courting the aspirant in all of us!
Surfacing is published by Innerlight Publications. Please visit their website at www.Innerlight-Publications.com .
