Crystal Fire. Poems of Joy and Wisdom

Crystal Fire. Poems of Joy and WisdomEdited by Maja Trochimczyk, and illustrated with paintings by Ambika Talwar, the Crystal Fire anthology gathers poems of joy and wisdom by 12 poets, 8 women and 4 men: El_bieta Czajkowska, Joe DeCenzo, Mary Elliott, Jeff Graham, Marlene Hitt, Frederick Livingston, Alice Pero, Allegra Silberstein, Jane Stuart, Ambika Talwar, Bory Thach, and Maja Trochimczyk. The poets span all ages and diverse life experiences. They include migrs from Poland, Cambodia,

Edited by Maja Trochimczyk, and illustrated with paintings by Ambika Talwar, the ÒCrystal FireÓ anthology gathers poems of joy and wisdom by 12 poets, 8 women and 4 men: El_bieta Czajkowska, Joe DeCenzo, Mary Elliott, Jeff Graham, Marlene Hitt, Frederick Livingston, Alice Pero, Allegra Silberstein, Jane Stuart, Ambika Talwar, Bory Thach, and Maja Trochimczyk. The poets span all ages and diverse life experiences. They include ŽmigrŽs from Poland, Cambodia, and India, and those born in the U.S. College professors join community poets. Native speakers appear alongside those for whom English is the second, or even the third language. The Ójoy and wisdomÓ they write about are also different, as each poet follows their own path and gathers unique reflections to share with their readers.The phrase of ÒCrystal FireÓ may be seen as the symbol of all humanity, with each person born from the union of man and woman, the male and female DNA strands interlocking in ever new patterns to create human beings. In this phrase, "Crystal" stands for the feminine and ÒFireÓ for the masculine. ÒCrystalÓ is peaceful, somewhat static, but well-constructed, stable, and growing slowly into perfection. It is the cosmos of order and being. Remember, only women give birth (though some want to construct artificial wombs and detach humanity from its roots). In contrast, "Fire" is dynamic, sometimes intensely dramatic, always changing, always transforming, constantly in the state of flux. It is the energy of change and growth. It is also destructive, demolishing solid structures of the past to make room for the new. ÒFireÓ means destruction and becoming. It is pure chaos. The Universe arises from the dance of these twin forces, like yin and yang, but neither is pure darkness, negative and ÒevilÓ and neither is pure light, positive, and Ògood.Ó Instead, they are the ageless vortex of cosmic unity and chaos, of creation and destruction. There is no value assigned to this polarity, for such labels are limiting and deceptive. Both aspects are essential, each cannot exist without its twin. Both are good AND evil, both are positive AND negative. ÓGood and positiveÓ when coupled with the other. ÒEvil and negativeÓ when alone. These are the polar opposites of stagnation and declineÑor constant movement and the total destruction of all life. The feminine elements of "earth" and "water" endlessly dance with the masculine elements of ÒairÓ and Òfire.Ó