“I have been writing poetry as long as I can remember myself,” Alice Chudes states. The Saga of a Chanting Phoenix is a collection of her poetry in English and French for the past 25 years with her own literary translations into English. The topics covered in this poetry book are as varied as human feelings and emotions. Its central theme is the sense of life and relation with the Divine. These poems will resonate with spiritual people and people who are searching for deeper meanings behind the trivial events, behind the mask that people usually wear in public.
An excerpt from the poem “Destiny Is Carving Out My Path in Poetry” reads,
This is my kismet:
To write.
When I do, all my worries just melt,
As my thoughts fly free in the sky.
“My book speaks on individual level, connecting with sensitive souls. But it also aims to better our society,” Chudes says. “If more people open their hearts to strangers, to unconditional love, to unorthodox interpretation of the events in their lives, then the whole society can jump to the next development level. That would be an ultimate goal of my poetry.”
In “Two Acquainted Strangers” Chudes writes about love and the sense of belonging together,
Whatever happened, I love you.
I feel you miles away.
Love is stronger than distance,
Stronger than time,
Stronger than anything
That anybody has to say.
When asked what she wants readers to take away from her writing of this poetry book, Chudes replies, “The notion of feeding one’s soul is as important as feeding one’s physical body. Sensitive individuals will be happy to get inspired to transcend to another level, to awaken themselves.”
