Threads of Gold

This book is a journey. Its poems are the images that have remained with me from times of anger and sadness with my family of origin through the present when I find myself surrounded by those who have chosen to love me in ways I never believed possible. It is a journey of pain and of healing and of finding myself. It is a journey through meditation and prayer and the quest for spirituality. It is a journey from solitude to community. It is the story of pilgrimages to places that have made themselves forever welcome in my heart. It is a sightseeing ride through visions of the fast-paced world of high technology and business, and the landscapes and lifestyles these have spawned. These poems are the story of how life was, how life is, and perhaps how life could be.

Barbara Murray took the excellent photographs. They are not meant to illustrate the poems in the traditional meaning of the word; rather, they reflect Barbara's experience of the poems. The process we used was to meet frequently during the writing of this book, and I would read aloud my recently completed poems to her. In the weeks between our meetings, she would record her impressions on film. I believe we have created an engaging combination of poetry and photographic art that you will want to return to again and again.

If the words or the pictures or the word pictures move you to laughter, to tears, or to any emotion in between, you will have experienced a recognition of the common spirit within us all, and I will have accomplished all that I set out to do.

Ric Giardina's first poetry was published in a New York literary magazine when he was just twelve years old. Raised on the East Coast, he moved to California more than twenty-five years ago after a single visit told him this was home. A consultant, teacher, and magazine columnist, Ric's varied career path has included successes in science, law and business. He is founder and president of Spirit Employed, a training and consulting company whose mission is to encourage and model authenticity in the workplace. Threads of Gold is his first book of poetry.

Barbara Murray brings to photography the same qualities by which she lives her life -- which she describes as "living out on the skinny branches with a chain saw in hand." Early in her life she traveled with a circus, performing as a clown, juggler, unicyclist, and trampolinist; then spent seventeen years in gymnastics as a coach, choreographer, and gym owner. Through gymnastics she found her passion for photography, turning the lens to her own young gymnasts. She studied at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco.