Gifted: Songs of the Heart

Gifted, the new collection penned by poet Ana Lisa de Jong, is a gift in itself. Reminding us of the gifts that life promises us through the three unchanging givens, no matter our varied experiences - the gift of one another, the gift of ourselves and the gift of God.

Ana Lisa is the author of four previous volumes, Songs in the Night, Hope Springs, Seeking the Light and Heart Psalms. A prolific writer of spiritual poetry crossing many barriers of faith, culture, age and gender, Ana Lisa's sensitive writing reminds us of the shared humanity that unites us despite our differences, and thus has a special capacity for bringing people together.

This volume is no different in the way it speaks to its readers, in a simple but intrinsically layered way, which leaves people pondering and reflecting long after a poem has been read. In a sense Ana Lisa reminds of the things we already know, and her poetry becomes a great home-coming for many of us.

Although Ana Lisa continues to weave her Christian faith through this collection in a very natural and powerful way, it is a book that any spiritual seeker, or lover of poetry and the written word, can find much within its pages to treasure and contemplate.

Included in the book, in the same tradition as her earlier collections, are a myriad of beautiful scenic photos of New Zealand accompanying the poetry, adding to the pleasure of this large volume, and ensuring readers will continue to revisit it again and again.

Ana Lisa writes regularly at www.livingtreepoetry.com, and is always keen to engage with new readers on her website or Facebook pages.