Bright Skies

Maja Trochimczyk dedicated this collection of poems, "Bright Skies," to her children and grand-children, asking them to read and enjoy her verse "when they grow up." The volume features 85 poems written in 2009-2022 and organized into five sections - Spring, Summer, Babie Lato, Autumn and Winter. The seasons of poetry include reflections on nature, beauty, love, life, and spirituality. The focus is on positive emotions, learning to be calm and content, full of compassion and wisdom. It is a life-long quest, and these poems are an invitation. The poems are illustrated with over 160 photographs taken in the poet's neighborhood - Big Tujunga Wash, Angeles National Forest, Descanso Gardens, and Oxnard Beach. The surprising "Coda" brings a set of recipes for old-fashioned Polish dishes mentioned in poems. Bringing together favorite memories of her Polish childhood - making and flying kites, plays with soap bubbles - and the delights of sunny Southern California gardens, parks, and beaches, the book includes lessons how to seek and find the daily dose of domestic bliss. This book is a legacy from a well-lived life, and a companion to "Into Light: Poems and Incantations" - another collection of positive, inspirational poetry illustrated with photos. About this Book: "From pears in a California garden to a recipe from her Polish grandmother for pickled pears, Maja Trochimczyk leads her readers into a lovely world. She sees the beauty of a rose, a bird, a sunrise. She has brought her childhood memories from faraway Poland into the splendid light of Southern California. Woven into each poem is a word picture, accompanied by a photograph of local scenes from her neighborhood - Big Tujunga Wash, Descanso Gardens, Oxnard Beach. These wonderful, heart-warming poems are full of exquisite metaphors and images, where spirituality comes through clearly, without labels, devotions, or being overly didactic. My favorites bring together vivid descriptions of Nature with inspirational life-lessons that Nature imparts. They are perfect in substance, style and language. Seeking contentment in domestic life - peaceful home and garden - is an important message for everyone today. The book includes even an original version of marriage vows and ends with a surprise: a selection of old-fashioned recipes for traditional Polish dishes mentioned in poems. Readers will grow in knowledge of beauty and joy surrounding them, shared in daily doses of bliss." ~ Marlene Hitt, poet/historian