At This Table by Raphael Block Cover

At This Table

by Raphael Block

148 pages, retail price $18.00
ISBN: 978-1-7337025-7-7

Description

I look back at the deep sighs expressed in these poems, sighs of love and longing that we share in the same spirit breath. My short sojourn here, embraced by this great, generous being Earth, asks of me to "give back one speck, one jot, of all / you pour into these marrowed bones" (from Meeting Light , in this book). Beauty is one way of doing this, as are tending to plants, caring for animals, and participating in our own communities. There is no limit to the power we can express in our lives on a daily basis. As Mother Theresa said, "Small things with great love. The moment we offer them to (Spirit), they become infinite." May these verses be a source of surprise, discovery, and uplift for you. Please feel free to share them in whatever way comes most naturally to you, be it song, dance, drawing, reciting, quilting, posting, or any other form. - Raphael Block

Author Biography

Born on a kibbutz, Raphael Block spent his boyhood playing on the hills of Haifa. His family returned to London as he turned nine, where learning British English shaped his ear for sound. In 1993 he moved to Northern California with his American wife, Deborah Simon, and their three-year-old daughter, Theadora. After Deborah passed away from cancer in 2002, it became Raphael’s privilege to raise their child.

Raphael was a teacher. He worked with under-fives for many years in London's inner city. In California he taught all grade levels, including teaching Waldorf, and also worked with kids with disabilities. A Sufi meditation practice, along with two life-threatening illnesses, Crohn's and MDS, a form of leukemia, have played major roles in intensifying his appreciation and gratitude for the moments of each day

Raphael Block's poetry, infused with a perceptive love of nature, speaks to Earth's call for a heartfelt response to our ecological crisis.


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