A Journey of Subtraction: A Collection of Poetry and Prose

By Ana Maria Santuario

All who traverse inward require pointers, a compass, so to speak. Let Subtraction guide you home, towards the self, through the self, beyond the self.

This collection of poetry and prose complement any journey of self-inquiry, whereby the destination lay inwards, through ethereal oceans unknown to the eye. Ana Maria offers mi

• Language: English
• Publisher: Faith in Change Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Feb 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781838074319

Ana Maria Santuario

Ana Maria Santuario writes to provoke thought and change, particularly with future generations at the heart of these provocations.

Book preview

Publisher’s Note

With love, these words are presented to you. This book is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional aid.  Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion contained within this book.  With that said, we wish you all the best for this journey you take with yourself and do hope that you reach for help when you become aware that you are in need of it.

Copyright © Ana Maria Santuario 2023. First Edition.

Ana Maria Santuario has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

Published by: Faith in Change Publishing Ltd

London, England, United Kingdom

www.faithinchange.com

ISBN  978-1-8380743-9-5  (hardback)

ISBN  978-1-8380743-0-2  (paperback)

ISBN  978-1-8380743-1-9  (ebook)

ISBN  978-1-8380743-2-6  (large text edition)

ISBN  978-1-8380743-7-1  (audio book)

Typeset in 11/16pt EB Garamond by Georg Duffner, Vienna, Austria

Graphics Design by Samuel Rider, London, England, UK

Printed and bound by Ingram Content Group, Global Distributors

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner, except for use of quotations in a book review or other purposeful writings.

Let these words comfort, soothe and confront as they turn you inwards, Presenting a mirror

to see all that you already are...

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Love.

Introduction

Written by Hannah M. Sim, Editor and Chief, Faith in Change Publishing Ltd.

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These poems came to Ana Maria during a time of immense and long-term suffering, a time of trauma recognition, re-processing, release, resolution, and recovery.  She was relentlessly observing the world within herself, quietly coming to comprehend that there was too much noise there, too much pain, too much unshed, living in mind, body and psyche.  Much of it was preventing her from living well, and no matter how hard she tried she ended up on her knees again.  The life Ana Maria has lived will shake the bones of even the bravest of souls, yet the light came to her, in the deepest, darkest recesses of hell on earth, the light came and instructed her, ‘Never give up on yourself’, ‘Everything will be alright, in time’, ‘Know that you are magic walking’, ‘Train your mind to watch and learn, never to believe blindly the words of another’, ‘And trust, most especially in your own body, less so your mind.’

You see, Ana Maria dwells inwardly in this external world of madness, materialism and noisy nonsense, yet she discovered that the natural world, that of mother earth, never came to cause her any pain whatsoever.  All that world ever did was provide a safe space to be still, to receive love, and to process and release the pain of this sometimes ugly, chaotic human existence.  The nature of the human is to seek light, but without direction, a compass, nor map, who can make it there to that inward destination?  Too many wander lost and alone these days, seeking externally, with evermore shifting from doctrine and discipline of a spiritual nature.  Yet, without compass and map, how do we find ourselves?  How do we make it home to that which we were born to be, an individual made of moving energy, born to express, create and love?  Without having to become a follower, disciple or member, with Ana Maria Santuario, we get to navigate our lost vessel home along the most interesting of passages, the one the light has designed uniquely and just for us...

Safely, she sailed home to peace and prosperity, making certain that she left no vessel behind within the hell she chose to escape.  In other words, she dragged her family from the confines of cage and binding darkness too, not by making them follow, but by leading with heart and soul.  When one chooses to become the thing they seek rather than preach it, others shift their focus by automaton, the light calls to all without question, without command, and without instruction as to how.  It is a journey of trial and error, one of mindful watching and awareness, one of feeling and deliberate facing of fear.  To ponder upon the truths of life one must become courage incarnate and be prepared to lose everything in the process of awakening to their very own nature and mechanism.

Awakening is but a journey of discovery, whereby you ascertain what you are made of, before letting go of each and every part of your own self, by way of surrender and release...

Time wills the world along a particular trajectory, homewards.  All of the global fear mongering only makes rich people richer, and, in turn, denies the infinite world living inside the poorest of fellows from becoming their own determining factor of measure and richness.  We are prevented from discovering that true wealth lay in existence itself, in the breath and a heartbeat, in clean unpolluted lungs and our ability to sing, dance and make love, either in the form of human life, or the arts.  Creation is Love and, ‘We are [blessed to be] the creation that creates, how magical!’  This is what Ana Maria has taught me so far, and it has been enough to embrace a new way of thinking and living. 

Then there are all the other little things, ‘...which are secretly the big things’, as determined in, Faith, In Stories That Change, Ana Maria’s debut publication, wherein she advocates ‘presence’ as a lifestyle choice.  Faith explores how an awareness of existing as Self can be honed, developed and awakened through mindfulness practices and a persistent hope for change.  At least this is how Ana Maria navigated her way back to presence and perpetual appreciation – with one step at a time...  To become present to the harder stuff in life can become the truest reflection of one’s own courage, for running is infinitely easier, but life does always catch up to you.  So be brave, face the world head on, and own it when you declare, as Ana Maria does in this prayer:

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You will not swallow me whole, I may drown,

but I will rise again, I may fall, but I will not bend,

for I am life itself, and only death will take my life,

not ever the experiences sent to make me richer,

stronger and infinitely braver. 

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Change is only ever a change, not ever a death

of physical body or mind.

I may lose parts of me that I enjoyed,

but let those now be replaced

with something new and different...

and perhaps more peaceful and fuller of wisdom earned.

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Life may transform me, but it will never break me,

for I am whole, wonderfully touched by the world,

and belong only to the light.

Let the darkness lap at my edges,

but never consume my fullness and worth.

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The wealth that I am was my destiny by birth,

and life is my birth right, not something earned or owned,

for I am alive, and that is infinitely enough for me.

That is my richest and most valuable commodity,

my very own life... and no one