Ana Lisa De Jong

Just as water envelops us and carries us along, so this new collection by poet Ana Lisa de Jong, Bodies of Water, promises to be immersive and moving, as well as resonant in how the keenly drawn insights in Ana Lisa's poetry correspond with our own life's journeying. And it was while journeying through the South Island of Aotearoa-New Zealand, known to the Māori as 'Te Waipounamu - The Water of Greenstone', that Ana Lisa first felt the topography of her new collection take shape. From the melding of flora and fauna, lakes and oceans, mountains and plains, emerges poetry still carrying the taste of salt from the sea, or the blue clarity of glacial water, the lilting tune of the bellbird.'Bodies of Water' however is not just a collection inspired by the natural world, it is also a story about us in all our humanity and diversity, how in our kinship with the environment is mirrored the intricacy and immensity of our own internal selves. These are spiritually charged and enquiring poems which explore our enduring relationship with water, and the landscape that forms the bedrock of its evolution, and the rich heritage that is our birthright, as tangata-whenua, 'people of the land'. This book is in the end a book about belonging- belonging to our tūrangawaewae (spiritual homes); belonging to one another and our whakapapa (lineage), both in our heritage and our environment; and belonging to ourselves within our own rich depths. Finally it is also a book about belonging (as Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer puts it), to the 'immeasurable body of love', how in the wondrous works of our Creator God's hands we might perceive his heart towards us.'A sublime merging of imminence and transcendence ' Rashani R a

Poetry for all Seasons by New Zealand contemplative poet Ana Lisa de Jong is a journey of the senses. While being both deeply human and intuitively spiritual, Ana Lisa's poetry inspires, moves and encourages in equal measure.The four titles, A Garment of Praise, Joy instead of Mourning, Release from Darkness and Beauty for Ashes, provide a collection of books inspired by the seasons of summer, winter, spring and autumn, giving the reader a contemplative retreat of poetry for the full calendar year and an opportunity to immerse in the beauty and power of poetry to speak to us, strengthen and restore.Ana Lisa's daily verse is a gift for the senses, mind, heart and spirit as she draws on the eternal themes of nature and the seasons, the ordinary wonders and challenges of life, and an awareness of an overarching and undergirding eternal presence, articulated with insightful wisdom and moving imagery.The awareness and sensitivity that enables Ana Lisa to speak through her own experience to that of others brings a sense of both community and communion through her words.

Poetry for all Seasons by New Zealand contemplative poet Ana Lisa de Jong is a journey of the senses. While being both deeply human and intuitively spiritual, Ana Lisa's poetry inspires, moves and encourages in equal measure.The four titles, A Garment of Praise, Joy instead of Mourning, Release from Darkness and Beauty for Ashes, provide a collection of books inspired by the seasons of summer, winter, spring and autumn, giving the reader a contemplative retreat of poetry for the full calendar year and an opportunity to immerse in the beauty and power of poetry to speak to us, strengthen and restore.Ana Lisa's daily verse is a gift for the senses, mind, heart and spirit as she draws on the eternal themes of nature and the seasons, the ordinary wonders and challenges of life, and an awareness of an overarching and undergirding eternal presence, articulated with insightful wisdom and moving imagery.The awareness and sensitivity that enables Ana Lisa to speak through her own experience to that of others brings a sense of both community and communion through her words.

Poetry for all Seasons by New Zealand contemplative poet Ana Lisa de Jong is a journey of the senses. While being both deeply human and intuitively spiritual, Ana Lisa's poetry inspires, moves and encourages in equal measure.The four titles, A Garment of Praise, Joy instead of Mourning, Release from Darkness and Beauty for Ashes, provide a collection of books inspired by the seasons of summer, winter, spring and autumn, giving the reader a contemplative retreat of poetry for the full calendar year and an opportunity to immerse in the beauty and power of poetry to speak to us, strengthen and restore.Ana Lisa's daily verse is a gift for the senses, mind, heart and spirit as she draws on the eternal themes of nature and the seasons, the ordinary wonders and challenges of life, and an awareness of an overarching and undergirding eternal presence, articulated with insightful wisdom and moving imagery.The awareness and sensitivity that enables Ana Lisa to speak through her own experience to that of others brings a sense of both community and communion through her words.

Poetry for all Seasons by New Zealand contemplative poet Ana Lisa de Jong is a journey of the senses. While being both deeply human and intuitively spiritual, Ana Lisa's poetry inspires, moves and encourages in equal measure.The four titles, A Garment of Praise, Joy instead of Mourning, Release from Darkness and Beauty for Ashes, provide a collection of books inspired by the seasons of summer, winter, spring and autumn, giving the reader a contemplative retreat of poetry for the full calendar year and an opportunity to immerse in the beauty and power of poetry to speak to us, strengthen and restore.Ana Lisa's daily verse is a gift for the senses, mind, heart and spirit as she draws on the eternal themes of nature and the seasons, the ordinary wonders and challenges of life, and an awareness of an overarching and undergirding eternal presence, articulated with insightful wisdom and moving imagery.The awareness and sensitivity that enables Ana Lisa to speak through her own experience to that of others brings a sense of both community and communion through her words.

Poetry for all Seasons by New Zealand contemplative poet Ana Lisa de Jong is a journey of the senses. While being both deeply human and intuitively spiritual, Ana Lisa's poetry inspires, moves and encourages in equal measure.The four titles, A Garment of Praise, Joy instead of Mourning, Release from Darkness and Beauty for Ashes, provide a collection of books inspired by the seasons of summer, winter, spring and autumn, giving the reader a contemplative retreat of poetry for the full calendar year and an opportunity to immerse in the beauty and power of poetry to speak to us, strengthen and restore.Ana Lisa's daily verse is a gift for the senses, mind, heart and spirit as she draws on the eternal themes of nature and the seasons, the ordinary wonders and challenges of life, and an awareness of an overarching and undergirding eternal presence, articulated with insightful wisdom and moving imagery.The awareness and sensitivity that enables Ana Lisa to speak through her own experience to that of others brings a sense of both community and communion through her words.

Gifted, the new collection penned by poet Ana Lisa de Jong, is a gift in itself. Reminding us of the gifts that life promises us through the three unchanging givens, no matter our varied experiences - the gift of one another, the gift of ourselves and the gift of God. Ana Lisa is the author of four previous volumes, Songs in the Night, Hope Springs, Seeking the Light and Heart Psalms. A prolific writer of spiritual poetry crossing many barriers of faith, culture, age and gender, Ana Lisa's sensitive writing reminds us of the shared humanity that unites us despite our differences, and thus has a special capacity for bringing people together. This volume is no different in the way it speaks to its readers, in a simple but intrinsically layered way, which leaves people pondering and reflecting long after a poem has been read. In a sense Ana Lisa reminds of the things we already know, and her poetry becomes a great home-coming for many of us. Although Ana Lisa continues to weave her Christian faith through this collection in a very natural and powerful way, it is a book that any spiritual seeker, or lover of poetry and the written word, can find much within its pages to treasure and contemplate. Included in the book, in the same tradition as her earlier collections, are a myriad of beautiful scenic photos of New Zealand accompanying the poetry, adding to the pleasure of this large volume, and ensuring readers will continue to revisit it again and again. Ana Lisa writes regularly at www.livingtreepoetry.com, and is always keen to engage with new readers on her website or Facebook pages.

Gifted, the new collection penned by poet Ana Lisa de Jong, is a gift in itself. Reminding us of the gifts that life promises us through the three unchanging givens, no matter our varied experiences - the gift of one another, the gift of ourselves and the gift of God. Ana Lisa is the author of four previous volumes, Songs in the Night, Hope Springs, Seeking the Light and Heart Psalms. A prolific writer of spiritual poetry crossing many barriers of faith, culture, age and gender, Ana Lisa's sensitive writing reminds us of the shared humanity that unites us despite our differences, and thus has a special capacity for bringing people together. This volume is no different in the way it speaks to its readers, in a simple but intrinsically layered way, which leaves people pondering and reflecting long after a poem has been read. In a sense Ana Lisa reminds of the things we already know, and her poetry becomes a great home-coming for many of us. Although Ana Lisa continues to weave her Christian faith through this collection in a very natural and powerful way, it is a book that any spiritual seeker, or lover of poetry and the written word, can find much within its pages to treasure and contemplate. Included in the book, in the same tradition as her earlier collections, are a myriad of beautiful scenic photos of New Zealand accompanying the poetry, adding to the pleasure of this large volume, and ensuring readers will continue to revisit it again and again. Ana Lisa writes regularly at www.livingtreepoetry.com, and is always keen to engage with new readers on her website or Facebook pages.