Real Thirst: Poetry of the Spiritual Journey

The poems in Real Thirst are an exploration of the spiritual journey viewed through the mystic's eyes. This collection is a delightful blend of word and silence, presenting moments of contemplation punctuated with bursts of ecstatic insight.

Real Thirst combines original poems by Ivan M. Granger with new translations of works by visionaries from both East and West: John of the Cross, Francis of Assisi, Symeon the New Theologian, Hakim Sanai, Tukaram, Sarmad, Bulleh Shah, Sachal Sarmast, Vladimir Solovyov, Tulsi Sahib, and Antonio Machado.


The parched know ?

real thirst
draws rainwater
from an empty sky.

~ Ivan M. Granger


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Praise for Real Thirst


"This book... is a unique presentation from one who is both scholar and mystic, original poet and collector of others' works. Real Thirst should be in the library of any serious seeker on the path. It should be read aloud from pulpits and savored in the midnight devotions of the solitary seeker. It reminds us of who we are..."
    &nbsp~ DOROTHY WALTERS, author of Unmasking the Rose and Marrow of Flame


?I found Real Thirst to be a slow, cool and refreshing drink. I believe you will find these poems an antidote to the rush of your days.?
    &nbsp~ JOHN FOX, author of Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making and Finding What you Didn?t Lose


?Ivan M. Granger's poems not only invite us into reunion with the ?Thief of Hearts,? each is actually a direct infusion of that dangerous, ecstatic meeting. Every page of this book is a luminous portal through the details of this world into the vastness of pure being. I will turn to these poems again and again for transport to the ineffable, for medicine to heal my restless mind, for a fierce and tender dose of the Beloved.?
    &nbsp~ KIM ROSEN, author of Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words


?A delightful prism through which we see a delicate dance of fireflies and countless other wonders ? poems, haiku and translations to illuminate the heart and the world.?
    &nbsp~ GABRIEL ROSENSTOCK, author of Haiku Enlightenment and Bliain an Bhandé / Year of the Goddess


?Ivan M. Granger has thrown open the doors of his body, heart and mind to the Infinite?s expressions of Itself in this world? These poems touch all the heart-strings. I laughed, I shed tears, I fell into contemplative states, I felt awe and wonder, love and longing as I read his offerings? You?ll want to return to this wellspring to quench your thirst over and over again.?
    &nbsp~ LAWRENCE EDWARDS, Ph. D., author of The Soul?s Journey: Guidance From the Divine Within and Kali?s Bazaar