Transcendence

What lies behind this sunlit world?
…Something too deep for thought,
…Open only to prayer.

These poems reflect moments when one experiences something more than what one sees and hears, feelings of the sublime, the holy, the transcendent.

…When meditating by a Wiltshire stream, or walking alone through an African forest, observed by a thousand unseen eyes and ears, from giant cats to tremulous snakes.

…Feelings of going beyond oneself, beyond anxiety and feelings of inadequacy, losing oneself in the great chain of being.

…The healing experience of being part of nature, losing the fear of death.

From intimations of transcendence in nature, this book moves on to the magic of ancient churches where so many have offered up their sorrows and joys and then to meditations and prayers, as well as the consolations offered by ancient rituals, by the rhythm of the church’s seasons, from the magic of Christmas through the penitence of Lent to the glories of Easter.

The final section explores the tragic lockdowns caused by Covid-19.

Andrew was born in wartime England, into the austerity of Birmingham and the joy of weekends at his grandparent's Staffordshire farm.

Aged eight, the family moved to South Africa and after university in Johannesburg, he spent 10 years at Cambridge, studying quantum physics and mathematics, and became interested in Zen Buddhism.

After a career as an academic at various British universities, he took early retirement and trained as an actor, performing in numerous productions on the fringe and on tour.

Having spent twenty years restoring an old farmhouse in Normandy, he now divides his life between the Highlands of Scotland, Wiltshire and South Africa.

He has recently set up a charity supporting ecological education and research in South Africa.