The poems in this book were first written, sometimes quickly, by Alex to capture insights about life that he had gained. Some of the thoughts came straight from his heart, in the peaceful early morning hours, spent reflecting on life over a cup of green tea. Others were inspired by reading and contemplation.
After sharing his first drafts with Eva, she masterfully edited them. Furthermore, she meaningfully added to the initial thoughts and reflections, greatly enhancing the original versions. She also drafted a few of the poems herself.
In compiling this collection, the intentions have been that as much as possible, the poems would be:
- Reality-based – true to lived experience.
- Inclusive – speaking to readers on any spiritual path, or none.
- Timeless – relevant today, next year, and in decades to come.
- Universal – able to touch people’s lives across a broad spectrum.
However, while the poems are intended to speak to people of any spiritual orientation, readers may find a gentle undercurrent of Christian and/or Buddhist thought as a result of the background and studies by their authors.
Alex and Eva are pleased to have permission from Jindrich (Henry) Degen, Eva’s father, to use some of his mainly abstract paintings as introductory pages to the sections and to the individual poems in this book.
The poems are arranged under the following themes:
- Truths of Life
- Wisdom for Life
- Acceptance
- End-of-Life Reflections
- In Memoriam
- Friendship
- Family
- On a Lighter Note
With the authors now well into their sixties, as well as having over the years been drawn to interact with and serve older members of their communities, the poems overall reflect a serious side of life. Specifically, four trains of thought have emerged: life has many wonderful qualities and is a precious opportunity to benefit oneself and many others; this life is impermanent and can end unexpectedly; life is inescapably governed by cause and effect; and life is not without difficulties, frustrations, and heartaches. To balance the soberness of the poems, Eva wisely suggested including a section entitled “On a Lighter Note”!
May readers find the feelings and thoughts about life captured in the poems helpful and insightful for their own life journey. Words, of course, are limited and so may they point to the deeper, heartfelt, and sometimes inexpressible, meanings.
Alexander Peck is now deceased, but his incredible legacy can be seen at https: //pathway-publishing.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Alexander-Peck-Websites-and-Blogsites.pdf.
Eva is an Australian author focused on spirituality, Christian theology, and the reflection in nature of spiritual realities. Readers have found her books insightful, inspiring, thought provoking, worthy of reflection, and providing practical guidance for spiritual growth.More specifically, she has written several books on the themes of Christian living and spiritual growth, salvation, God's grace, new birth, and the kingdom of God. The original ideas and much of the content came by inspiration.Another of her writing themes is nature and spirituality. Having enjoyed nature from early childhood, she has been able to later combine her love and knowledge of nature with spiritual insights. She believes that nature points us to God and reflects divine realities. This is the subject of her trilogy Divine Reflections.In addition, two of her books are experientially based self-help books and deal with subjects of practical nature. Eva has a degree in Biological Sciences and a Post-graduate Diploma and a Master's degree in Theology, as well as a Master's in English Language and Literature.Other than writing, her interests are in books and documentaries merging science and spirituality, dealing with health and natural remedies, and exploring ancient civilizations. She also enjoys nature walks, animals, art, and music.Readers interested in spirituality, a fresh way of looking at established ideas, spiritual growth, and reflective living are welcome to explore her writings at her website www.pathway-publishing.org, her Amazon author page, http: //amzn.to/1jxjH9C, and her Goodreads page, https: //www.goodreads.com/author/list/6606713.Eva_Peck ).
Jindrich is now deceased, but his biography and partial creations can be seen at https: //henrydegen.com.
