My journey as a writer and a poet has closely paralleled my discovery of myself as a woman moving from my early days as tomboy, larrikin and sprite to mother figure, lover, teacher and warrior. As I have matured, I found that I relished my experiences, drew wisdom from them and looked for ways to express what I know and feel in my writing. I have always been interested in people, matters of the heart and things spiritual, especially my connection to my mother the earth, to the very essence of what it means to be a woman, to have a woman's spirit. I have been intrigued by questions such as: What is it we will be leaving our children? How can we use our female energy to bring peace to our world? What do we have to do to find our own personal peace first? This collection of poems and prose share my responses to this life, and the places where I have found divinity. Life taught me that my greatest strength was yielding, in flowing around obstacles. Though I have felt much pain in my life, what I remember most is the joy and beauty of living, and what I like to do best is write about it.
About the Author: ABOUT SANDY COSGRAVE Born in Australia during the bombing of Sydney by the Japanese, Sandy Cosgrave had a childhood filled with learning, family strife, and adventure. In fact, adventure has been her middle name, as she reports traveling around the world nine times on a motorcycle, riverboat, elephant and a variety of other watercraft. She stayed outside in the natural world as much as possible. Before finding sobriety she specialized in party with finesse. "I was very good at it because I had lots of practice." After years of living on the edge, she committed herself to sobriety while living in Montana for over seven years and became a leader within AA. She recently celebrated over 31 years sober. Of course travel and being in nature remained central to her life. She became a teacher, a lifestyle that allows for summer-long adventures every year. She often ended up teaching the most difficult kids, the unruly troublemakers, whose respect she commanded, regaling them with her own adventures. Until she was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, she taught critical thinking at Santa Fe College in Gainesville. When the doctors said it was terminal, she quit chemo and radiation, living out her life quietly drug free, and without the debilitating effects of cancer therapy. She settled in North Central Florida in 1968, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and learning the names and voices of all the birds, and all the plants growing here, especially in and around springs, rivers, swamps and forests. A strong supporter of Crones Cradle Conserve, she appreciated the community, organic gardening, and conservation they practice. She became a minister and psychic with the Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp, where her deep reverence for life guided her. Her spirituality was grounded in Native American and Native Australian practices, as well as late 20th century female-centered theology. She led and participated in Sweat Lodges, Cronings, and numerous other circles of women. She was a great cook, specializing in lamb, prepared of course, with Australian flare.