Verses of the Heart: New and Selected Poems

From the author of A Cup with Rumi comes Verses of the Heart.

Verses of the Heart, Flamur Vehapi’s fourth collection, draws on his experience as a war refugee in Europe, an immigrant to the United States, and an educator in the Middle East and elsewhere. The poems, based on the author's lived experiences, explore the relationship between a person’s hopes for the future and their internal struggles in the present day as they navigate the injustices of the modern world. Uniquely, the poems are set in dialogue with excerpts of some of the most inspiring verses of Islamic poetry from the Middle Ages to the modern era, providing an intriguing contextual backdrop for the poems, which are themselves inspired by the Albanian poetry of the author’s roots.

Review

“These verses truly touch the reader’s heart … A beautiful collection, indeed.”
—Dr. Naser Bresa, author of Retrospektiva

“Another set of beautiful poems by Flamur. They are so captivating that I had to read them all at once. Truly heart touching!”
—Dr. Amber Haque, co-editor of Islamic Psychology Around the Globe

“Flamur is adept at blending matters of the heart with earthly matters. He is adept at highlighting many of the world’s perpetual afflictions. Some simply do not see, or worse, see and do not care. But if you find you are among those who are prepared to make a change and are ready to let the healing begin, I would first prescribe reading Verses of the Heart.”
—Brandon Mayfield, co-author of Improbable Cause

“If we are to heal ourselves, our communities, our nations and our world, we must find ways to speak to the heart. Flamur offers through his poetry that speaks to the heart the opportunity to heal ourselves and the world.”
—Dr. Miles Davis, president of Linfield University

“Flamur continues to remind us to look with awe for the hidden beauty all around us. He seems to see light in the grimmest of circumstances reminding us of Rumi's saying, ‘There are beautiful things you can only see in the dark'."
—Dr. Omar Reda, author of On the Shoulders of the Prophet

“Every time I read Flamur Vehapi’s poetry, I marvel at his illuminating wisdom. Verses of the Heart is a welcome beacon of light during these dark times. His inspirational words remind us that change must begin within our own hearts.”
—Paul Fattig, author of Madstone

“Flamur’s verses present a spirit of optimism at a time when people are increasingly, physically and spiritually, moving away from one another. While highlighting the challenges of our times, he also gives us the recipe for solving the problem: our sense of humanity as a unifying element.”
—Dr. Eduart Caka, author of Dialogu Ndërfetar and translator of Devlet-i Aliyye