Poems of Death: Time for Eternity, by James Hilgendorf
The phrase "Poems of Death" refers to a passage in Walt Whitman's "Democratic Vistas", in which he states:
"In the future of these States, must arise poets immenser far, and make great poems of death."
Not poems as such, the fifty-seven short pieces in "Poems of Death: Time for Eternity" are about America, and a new dream of America. They are about a new dimension of eternity and a new spirituality that is beginning to emerge in America.
But they are also about our own personal dreams.
Hilgendorf writes:
"Dreams die, too. They can grow to an enchanting vividness, flowers in bloom, then in the next instant, go up in smoke. We awaken. Harsh, harsh reality.
"What is required is a constant, unbending vision of the dream. Let nothing derail our hopes.
"Our mind is a mirror of our universe. Our very thoughts, our vision, determination, hopes, despairs and doubt lie perfectly mirrored in our world.
"People come to us as we stand up alone. Try leaning on someone else, something else, and all support vanishes. Life is teaching us all the lessons.
" We have within us all powers, all the necessities. Our dreams are in our hands. Be bold, never give in.
"Dream big."
In one way or another, all of the Hilgendorf's books deal with a new dream of America. He is deeply influenced by Buddhism, and Buddhist ideals, and this filters through all of his writing.
There is a new world emerging, and it is arising out of individual personal transformation. It is an awakening to the world of eternity within and around us, thus the subtitle, "Time for Eternity."
James Hilgendorf's other books are "Life & Death: A Buddhist Perspective";
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