Pieces of My Heart is a unique mingling of passions - poems and quilts. Poems that express the author's laments and joys, sorrows and successes, worries and victories, these poems stand alone to welcome the reader in, share a landscape of emotions that do not wallow but search for a glimmer of hope through the darkest of tunnels. These poems invite handmade quilts to join them, add vibrant dimension to words threaded stitch by stitch to build days past and pathways sewn together for bright tomorrows. Poems and quilts, words and swirls of colors, letter by stitch by verse by fabric, Pieces of My Heart engage the reader to immerse in words and pictures, a journey of heart that leads each one of us to today. The message throughout Pieces of My Heart is healing. Body, soul, mind, repairing the past, patching tears in relationships, building traditions. You'll find these scattered throughout, "in the mirror of my life," "I am rubbed raw of thoughts," "dawn draws me to it," and "I am not present." Darkness to light, "everything exists / to quiet a healing soul," and the past speaking through the author "centuries of people left footprints on the sand / for her to follow," "drowning in awareness of her consciousness," "helping me keep family traditions to pass on," and in retribution "in time you will feel the fire you set." Joys and sorrows that flow "tears escape from my eyes / without my consent," and a view to the future "seven healing hearts to soothe a vacant soul."Here is your invitation to join hands with the author and stroll through Pieces of My Heart, "my heart's dream fulfilled / a life blessed / sewn into a mosaic of splendid pieces." You'll be changed forever by the turn of each page, each poem and quilt binding you to this wonderful life. Judy Turek