DREAMS FROM THE NILE: Poetry Inspired while Living in Egypt

My time in Egypt came after many seasons of frantic activity in life: raising a large family, meeting deadlines, overseeing projects, and striving to achieve goals—going, going, going. Being in Egypt allowed me to switch into a different mode, to stop all my running around and learn to simply be. While there, I lived for much of the time in Luxor and Aswan, close to the Nile. I found that I not only drew energy and strength from the iconic river, but that it also became a calming source for me, allowing for many deep emotions to rise and be felt, engendering a renewed sense of peace within. In essence, I ultimately found the soul of the Nile to be my comforter, my friend, and my teacher. This collection of poems reflects the peace and healing I found within the framework of such beauty and simplicity. The poetry collection is divided into seven parts, each one representing some element of the land and people, as well as lessons they taught me while I was there. Just as my experience in Egypt was teaching me to be a more quiet, contemplative person, poetry became a new form of expression of that new state of being, a mystical language, a way for me to freely articulate my deepest feelings.