Poems of the Spirit

By Martha Woodruff-Duncan

My husband's passing in July 2009 after a one-year battle with cancer, I began to research and read books on spiritual awareness, searching for an understanding on the purpose of life. What are we doing here? What is our purpose? The authors that I encountered through my research and discuss in the Acknowledgments section of this book of poems opened a window in my consciousness causing me to begin writing my book of poems, one by one, documenting my feelings and clear understanding. I did wrestle, initially, with the composition of my poems because I knew exactly what I desired to express--feel the words, feel deeply my understanding of what I express in my poems--and live that understanding, that knowing, in each moment of now.

I composed my poem, "To Live in the Past," because I desire to share a part of me that existed in my past of this lifetime. I was just a teenager--fourteen years old--entering my first year of high school. I had no awareness in those moments of now of what was taking place within me when, all of a sudden, I became aware of my resistance, of my struggling to stop stuttering. I let it go; I let it be; I set it free. An awareness took over my consciousness in those moments of now, allowing me to see, to let it be.

Raised Catholic, I am not a devout or anything. All religions point to the same Source--the Godhead of us all, our Divine Father and Creator of all that is.

I desire to enrich the lives of those who may read the words in my book of poems. I consider my writings, and have since the beginning, a small gift book of enlightenment--spiritually speaking--to be referred to again and again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638745372

Book preview

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Poems of the Spirit

Martha Woodruff-Duncan

ISBN 978-1-63874-536-5 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63903-689-9 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63874-537-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Martha Woodruff-Duncan

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Journey of Life

The Band of Life

We Make Mistakes

Fall from Grace

The Egoic Mind

The Cosmic Wheel

To Grow Old

Feelings

Mundane

Connecting and Interacting with the Elements of our Planet Earth

To Live in the Past

To Forgive

To Pretend

A Poem for Children

Summer's Trees

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Christmas

Easter

Acceptance

The Essence of God

Reflections

In Honor of Love

Moms

Butterflies

Jesus of Nazareth

About the Author

I dedicate this book of poems, Poems of the Spirit, to my late husband, Andrew David Duncan. Honestly, without giving Andrew eighteen of the last years of my life, in this lifetime, this book of poems would have never been written. Andrew being an artist and a sculptor, a designer, an illustrator, he was contemplative in his nature, a profound thinker, demonstrating this briefly throughout our relationship. He spoke such words as: We all have too much false pride, as he went down the hall in our home into his office