Most artistic endeavour, in whatever medium, if truly ‘Art’, is nothing more, nor less, than the successful recall and skilful expression of inspirational experience.

By ‘inspirational’ I mean an experience while seemingly on ahigher plane, that by its Beauty or Wisdom, unmistakably assumes an importance so soul-changing that it will be always remembered by the individual and if he be also an artist, demands immediately to be expressed. 

Expressing the wonder of inspirational insights is not just something benefiting the reader, listener or observer, of artistic expression – it also benefits the artist. For even as he is in the throes of expressing, reflecting and writing, he is actually in another state of ‘mind’ that feels quite removed from reality. While in this state, neither hunger, nor cold, nor worries, nor worldly sounds, will assail him – physically he is cocooned or temporarily immune - to those everyday spontaneous messages that on the worldly plane, would inform his actions.

Not only is such immunity temporarily conferred, but also, while in such a state of artistic ‘mind’, one’s breathing automatically alters –becomes much slower, and this happens always,and without the awareness, usually, of the artist (Poet).  Neither this breathing pattern change nor the immunity response, happens if one e.g. is only writing verse –it only occurs if one is truly creating Poetry, or Art – infact such breathing change acts as a defining marker – it tags the writer as either simply a versifier(writer) or a Poet (artist).

This breathing pattern, assumed temporarily only while creating e.g. the Poetry, has amazing positive healing effects, not just on the body, but also on the mind, psychologically. As with all spiritual techniques geared toward enlightenment, breathing technique constitutes the basis and catalyst.

This phenomenon is strangely similar to that condition we call being ‘in love’ – which is similarly a state of ‘mind’ that predisposes one to temporary immunity from reaction to normal survival stimuli – we have, as it were, our ‘head in the clouds’ and our ‘feet do not touch the ground’.  It is much like the idea of Christ walking on water –the artistic expression is a state that is close to godliness – a spiritual state that, once experienced, is both unmistakable and unforgettable.

Another state of mind automatically and similarly affecting breathing patterns with similar outcome, is that of being confronted by great Beauty, when we, being overcome, temporarily, ‘lose our breath’, we ‘gasp’ and instinctively take a deep breath and hold it, then let the breath go and launch for a brief time, while still overcome by that Beauty, into a similar kind of unusual breathing pattern.

What is of growing interest in the world of healing, is the theory that while artistically or inspirationally expressing oneself, while actually on such a plane of being, (catapulted thereby Love, Beauty or Inspiration), it is as if a kind of general immunity is conferred on one – an intriguing theory whose study may one day help us greatly with healing, both on the physiological and psychological, levels.

So to be already as a child, introduced to all the arts – to grow up with a love of art, to study artistic skills and develop the desire to create artistically, is not just to have added yet another activity onto an already bourgeoning youthful repertoire, nor even just to have provided oneself thereby, with an additional source of pleasure from which to draw always in future life - but to now have honed an extraordinary tool toward self-healing, physically and psychologically, whose potential is amazing and, perhaps, unlimited.

Please know here that one, either as a child or adult, does not need to fully understand a poem (as distinct from verse) in order to receive love, understanding, pleasure or learning, from it - for Poetry, being after all, the literary shell, merely, in which something wonderful and true is wrapped, that shell content can bypass its outer wrapping and speak directly to the heart, the brain and the soul.

So for this reason, may I point out here that very apparent among this collection of poems, is a huge and quite obvious variation in complexity and type, from poem to poem and it would be quite logical, that one person may react more comfortably on one level of meaning, than on another and since some poems may be more intellectually demanding, visually stimulating or emotionally touching, than others, it would be logical to assume such variation of response.

So I give you now, in safe-keeping, with my love and best wishes, these poems – may you enjoy them –may you remember some lines of them long into adulthood – that is my wish.