It's not often that you get to go on a soul journey with another person. Even rarer still is to be able to witness the evolution of another traveller as they become more fearless in putting themselves out into the world for us to see and to learn from. And it's not enough to just be fearless. To be able to articulate the "true face of love," while at the same time exposing life's sharp edge of grittiness, is more than just a talent. You need to be crushed first in order to grow, and then unwavering, you need to strive for the light, drawn to the mystery we are all being swept into.
Eileen Curteis is a woman at the height of her personal awareness and literary powers. She has become a master of her art. Her voice has evolved through the decades and ten previous books of poetry and artwork in order to arrive here. Now the muse is demanding more, insisting on a greater, deeper truth. She has torn away the last veil of innuendo in her work and laid her experience bare. The sharp writing, bold metaphor, and lovely allusions are still there, along with the emotional gravitas, but her new work is like a beautiful cosmic hammer hitting nail after nail and filling the silence with the sweet sound of truth and strength, over and over again.
These new poems feel like a gift. Her previous work spoke of struggle, joy, acceptance, perseverance, and awe. The poems evoked a feeling of peace and revelled at the divine song of the universe, and our place in it. That work was amazing, but these new poems, though clearly an evolution of what came before, crackle with power and beauty. They describe the human experience, her experience, like being connected directly to the Source. The language, as always, is evocative, but it's cleaner, electrical, true.
When writing these poems Eileen was ready to break the cords and carry the Light. The time spent flourishing underground has enabled her to access the higher gifts. She knows she doesn't have all the answers but like a child of the universe awakening, she knows she's being led. Thankfully, for us, we get to join her in the journey.
