Hesed

This insightful collection of poems will draw you into the essence of Hesed, an ancient Hebrew word woven across the pages of the Bible, that expresses God's loving kindness through life and faith.

Poems that usher the sublime into the every day. They are present and earthy, but with flashes of the another kingdom always breaking in.

Rhidian Brook
BBC Broadcaster, Novelist and Screenwriter

Linda Daruvala is a gifted wordsmith who is not afraid to ask questions through her poetry, both praising and challenging God and the reader, akin to the Psalmist of old. She is not afraid to lay bare her personal emotions. I believe they will resonate and bring relief to others who face similar difficult experiences. I enjoy the way she gently probes biblical characters, speaking to them in the first person in order to enable us to enter into a deeper relationship with them. Her faith shines through every line. Her poems are infectious; hence, I have looked forward to reading 'Hesed'. Linda's poems have brought comfort to many of my parishioners. She is a truly gifted and blessed poet.

Reverend Lisa-Claire Holmes
Associate minister
The Ray Valley Benefice, The Diocese of Oxford.

Linda's awareness of the presence and love of God in all things shines through this collection of poetry. An eclectic mix of deeply personal experiences, wonderful observations, and beautifully imaginative interpretations of Scripture, 'Hesed' will challenge you if you let it. Savour the poems slowly and they will lead you into your own prayerful encounters with the God who longs to make himself known to you.

Pat Marsh
Author of Whispers of Love

These poems powerfully explore the lovingkindness of God in language that is at once immediate and rich with spiritual insight. Whether recalling a Northumbrian 'Poustinia' the monastic 'desert' of Orthodox Christian tradition ('You are') or revelling in the vibrant autumn colours of maples at Bramshott in Hampshire ('Avenue of Maples, Bramshott'), Linda Daruvala's subtle poetic voice illuminates the joys and struggles of the life of faith. Many of these poems move seamlessly from detailed evocations of a specific place the "warm smell of old litter" ('The Kench') towards challenging metaphysical spaces of prayer and "holy fire" ('Fiery John'). Above all, this collection is alive with a homely divinity, a deft balancing of the everyday and the transcendent as the "heart sings by the Jurassic coast" ('Dorset Psalm'). In the midst of the joys and sorrows of these poems God's presence endures:

In You all things hold together
Alpha and Omega
('You are ')
The fundamental message of this collection is one of positivity. God's 'hesed', a lovingkindness towards all creation, promises radical transformation. In 'Forgiveness', Daruvala movingly declares:
Fresh growth overtakes the barren landscape
And we no longer remember it as it was

Dr Richard Hawtree
Poet and medievalist

Dettagli