Leaving the Shore - by Colette Lafia (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Poetry is the voice of the soul, and in this beautiful collection, Colette Lafia brings us into the joys and sorrows of life, revealing how God's enduring love is present in all we experience." --Richard Rohr, author of The Tears of Things

Poems and related practices for a more contemplative life.

Leaving the Shore is a collection of poems with the intent of creating contemplative experiences for readers. The author has added guided Lectio Divina (sacred readings) and writing/journaling prompts, so that readers can pray and reflect with the poems.

Each poem is about some aspect of living the spiritual path: the desire to reach beyond what we know, the longing to step into the Divine Mystery, and the commitment to live in an intimate exchange of love with the Holy.

An experienced spiritual director, Lafia draws on her commitment to the contemplative life. These poems are an expression of contemplation in action as they explore the Holy in moments of daily living: within a marriage, while assisting a loved one dying, in the creative act of painting, and more. They are inspired by writings of the mystics, in particular Mechthild of Magdeburg and St. John of the Cross, and suffused with surrender, love, and awe. They invite the reader into prayer, self-reflection, and seeing their own lives as sacred texts.

Review Quotes

"Poetry is the voice of the soul, and in this beautiful collection, Colette Lafia brings us into the joys and sorrows of life, revealing how God's enduring love is present in all we experience" --Richard Rohr, author of The Tears of Things

"During these turbulent times, we need the steadying voice of feminine wisdom more urgently than ever. In this luminous book, spiritual guide Colette Lafia offers the fruits of her tenderly cultivated inner life to feed people of all genders who thirst for a direct encounter with the embodiment of love, which she recognizes as our own true nature." --Mirabai Starr

"Though Colette Lafia confesses early on in Leaving the Shore, 'I keep forgetting--/my holiness, my wholeness, ' her poems and invitations to explore the divine help bring us back to our own full presence in our world, remembering all that is worthy of worship. In these poems, the worn and dented kitchen table becomes an altar, and the simple act of changing clothes in front of a mirror leads to both revelation and breakthrough: 'I see you. / I see you.' Above all, through Lafia's gentle guidance, we come to see ourselves in her generous words, and can hear again, in the sacred quiet this book holds for us, 'the One Love in everything.'" --James Crews, author of How to Love the World

"From the Psalms to Mary Oliver, there's a long tradition of integrating prayer and poetry -- and Colette Lafia's thoughtful and insightful collection of prayerful poems invites us into that meditative space where lyrical language meets the deepest yearnings of the soul. Leaving the Shore invites us to discover that place in our hearts where creativity and contemplation come together." --Carl McColman, author of Eternal Heart and Read the Bible Like a Mystic

"These lovely, contemplative poems and prose pieces lead us gently 'offshore' into deep waters of prayer and spiritual reflection. Accompanied by questions and prompts that invite us to explore and experiment, they model, invite, inspire, and sometimes compel readers, as lectio divina does, to follow where the Spirit leads." --Marilyn McEntyre, author of Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies

"This lovely book is full of quiet spaces and tender moments where your soul can rest for a while and be. Colette invites her reader to listen in various ways that are both ancient and also feel fresh and insightful. The world needs more poets, more people who can listen and see attuned to the deeper reality. This book opens the door." --Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, author of A Midwinter God and Journey to Joy

"When you find a poet who captures your deepest human/spiritual aspirations, you feel more alive and less alone, fortified through companionship. That's how I felt reading Colette Lafia's beautiful collection, Leaving the Shore." --Brian D. McLaren, author/activist

"These pages carry us into the 'deeper waters of Love.' With poetry, prayer, and simple invitations to listen, reflect, respond, and rest, Colette Lafia leads us into meditative spaces in which we, too, can 'turn toward the ever-evolving shape of life.' Leaving the Shore is a whole-hearted invitation to deepen our own practice of opening to the 'divine rippling through everything.'" --Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of The Unfolding and host of "The Poetic Path"

About the Author

Colette Lafia is an award-winning writer, retreat leader, and spiritual director. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. A graduate of the Spiritual Directors' Institute at Mercy Center in Burlingame, California, she also completed the Living School program in the Christian contemplative and mystical traditions, guided by Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and James Finley. She is the author of The Divine Heart: Seven Ways to Live in God's Love, which received a 2022 Nautilus Book Award, as well as Seeking Surrender: How My Friendship with a Trappist Monk Taught Me to Trust and Embrace Life, and Comfort and Joy: Simple Ways to Care for Ourselves and Others, named one of the best spiritual books of the year by Spirituality & Practice. As a contemplative teacher, Colette regularly gives retreats and workshops to an international audience both online and in person, and is a regular contributor to Gratefulness.org.