Crystal Fire. Poems of Joy and Wisdom

Edited by Maja Trochimczyk, and illustrated with paintings by Ambika Talwar, "Crystal Fire" gathers poems of joy and wisdom by 12 poets: Elzbieta 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 experiences. They include émigrés from Poland, Cambodia, and India, and those born in the U.S. College professors join...
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Edited by Maja Trochimczyk, and illustrated with paintings by Ambika Talwar, "Crystal Fire" gathers poems of joy and wisdom by 12 poets: Elzbieta 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 experiences. They include émigrés 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 "joy and wisdom" they write about are also different, as each poet follows their own path and gathers unique reflections to share with their readers. The Editor, Maja Trochimczyk is a poet, music historian, photographer and non-profit director born in Poland, educated in Canada (Ph.D., McGill University), and living in California. She published 8 books on music, edited 6 poetry anthologies and published 5 books of poetry. Her poetry and photography appear in numerous journals and anthologies. She was twice nominated for Pushcart Prizes (2021 and 2022) and serves as President of California State Poetry Society and Managing Editor of California Quarterly. She writes: "The phrase of "Crystal Fire" 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 "Fire" for the masculine. "Crystal" is peaceful, somewhat static, but well-constructed, stable, and growing slowly into perfection. It is the cosmos of order and being. 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. "Fire" means destruction and becoming. The Universe arises from the dance of these twin forces, like yin and yang, but neither is pure darkness, negative and "evil" and neither is pure light, positive, and "good." Instead, they are the ageless vortex of cosmic unity and chaos, of creation and destruction."