Holding Grace

by R.J. Heller

Holding Grace embraces a contemporary, free verse style of poetry as the voice for sharing a range of life’s experiences and emotions, creating an approachable and highly readable collection. Within these pages are recognizable tales of friendship and loss, contentment and longing, reflections on current events and locales, and the pure pleasure that may be found when one stops to soak in the beauty and rhythm of nature.

Tenderly written remembrances of childhood, tales of middle-aged angst as one feels the press of time, and backward glances at life’s choices are all countered with stories of nature’s challenging beauty, and the too infrequent simplicity of enjoying a quiet rain or a frozen breath on a cold day.

This collection offers sentimental reflfl ections on life and the memories we carry, as well as an unblinking look at the need to accept the passage of time with grace and appreciation. Pause and take in the life moments, both common and unique, that are
so lovingly shared in Holding Grace.

84 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2013

About the author

RJ HELLER lives life forward while keeping the
past close. By letting words find him to tell their
story, he captures moments experienced by us all
and presents them in a unique and tender way.

This first book is influenced by the author’s travels
and love of nature, especially the sea. Rick and his
family live their lives in Starboard Cove, Maine.

Reviews

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a GR Giveaway.

I really enjoyed the poems in this book. I took my time, reading only one or two poems at each sitting, to not rush and to feel the power of the words.
These poems are full of imagery and connectedness. Everywhere Rick sees a soul/person/self as part of something larger, an important and irreplaceable part of the cosmos. The soul/person/self is integral to this cosmos, which would be changed if not for that being. And vice versa.
I loved the imagery of nature throughout and the memories these images brought to the forefront. I was transported back to some very special times.
This is not a book to rush through but to savour and enjoy. I look forward to more poems by Rick Heller.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book to read. The author, Rick Heller, has a way of taking the most mundane moments of life, like that first cup of copy in the morning, or the most sublime moments, like experiencing the beauty of nature, and putting them into words that cause the reader to experience them anew and truly appreciate them. One of my favorite pieces, "Beyond Beautiful," describes his experiences while dog sledding in Alaska. Although this is not something I would choose to do, I felt that I was actually on this adventure with him. While this piece appealed to all of my senses, his last piece, "A Morning Made of Perfection," appealed to my emotions. It is a lovely description of Christmas morning, one that caused me to relive all of the sights, sounds, and smells I remember as a child. And as an adult with grown children, it also reminded me of the many wonderful Christmas mornings I have spent with my children as they grew up.
This is not a book to read in one sitting. It is a book to come back to in quiet moments or when you need a quiet moment.