“Lawrence Edwards is that rare miracle—an authentic mystical poet inspired by direct experience of the divine. In O My Beloved, he offers us a gorgeous, wild, passionate, sacred feast. Eat, be inspired, rejoice, and keep using these messages from reality to embolden and ennoble your life.” —Andrew Harvey, author of Turn Me to Gold: 108 Translations of Kabir www.andrewharvey.net

“O My Beloved is an enchanting, mystical song of the Divine, leading the way to victory beyond the battlefields of life and death itself. Kalidas strikes with a clean sword, penning words that cut straight into the Heart of the One. What pours forth in these poems is Divinity’s pure nectar. Each word, a vibration of the Divine, releasing and transmitting the purest of Love, bestowing grace and delight on every page. Kalidas guides us through a portal to a liberating journey from the finite to the infinite. A magical, masterful ride into the highest realms of the mystics, Gods, Goddesses, and into the abode of the One. Elevated into states of higher consciousness, this is our opportunity to take refuge and find the place of Union inside our own sacred, loving heart.” —Anita Craig, founder and director, FLOW, Future Leaders of the World (Pty) South Africa; and founding member of the Ganga Bhavani Maa World Trust https://www.futureleadership.co.za/

“In his deeply felt book of spiritual poetry, Lawrence Edwards ascribes the beauty of his words with heartfelt modesty to the Kundalini goddess, Kali Ma, saying she chose him as a scribe to communicate her divine inspiration. We sense the unity of their connection in each line and observe the transcendent joy Edwards experiences in letting go of the all-too-human doubts and uncertainties produced by the mortal mind. This book is a celebration of his deep compassion for all that is known and unknown in our lives and for what is waiting for us when we shed our illusions, recognize that All is One, and embrace the universal love offered by Mahadevi in all her forms. No matter the source of the words, Edwards conveys his euphoric poetry with graciousness and passion, and each line is offered to us as a gift waiting to be unwrapped and savored.” —Bruce Singer, PsyD, clinical psychologist, mindfulness meditation teacher, musician, composer, and author of Black Duck Moments Every Day www.drbrucesinger.com

“Passion, love, deity, dignity all clearly expressed in poetry rarely seen in today’s creativity. Dr. Edwards reveals and revels in the deepest part of his Soul, welcoming our Souls to new heights and possibilities. His transparent love for the Divine, his passion, pours out with the dignity that only a worshiper of his caliber can express. Reading his new poetry took us to a level rarely acknowledged in our present day. What an experience!” —Charles Whitfield, MD and Barbara Whitfield, CMT, RT, authors of Healing The Child Within and The Natural Soul, and other books www.barbara-whitfield.com

“The poems of Kalidas invite us to step outside our daily concerns and melt into the divine embrace. These songs remind us of our own inner voice in continuous, passionate dialog with the Divine Beloved. The language is often simple and direct, the honest, unadorned voice of the heart discovering new ways to surrender and open. A book to keep at arm’s reach on the nightstand or near the altar.” —Ivan Granger, founder and editor of Poetry Chaikhana, author of Real Thirst: Poetry of the Spiritual Journey, and editor of This Dance of Bliss: Ecstatic Poetry from Around the World www.poetry-chaikhana.com

“I love these poems! In his inspired O My Beloved, Lawrence Edwards put words to the timeless longing our soul feels for its source. Each poem has a power to pull the receptive reader into a deep meditative state filled with a love of the Divine. In this collection we find the extraordinary power of the fifteenth century devotional dialogue tradition effortlessly voiced in the twenty-first century. Moving and inspiring. Good company for anyone with a heart full of longing.” —Lee Lyon, founder and director of Foundation for Integrative Meditation, Santa Fe, NM, author of The 112 Meditations from the Book of Divine Wisdom www.integrativemeditation.org/about-lee-lyon

“The jewels in this collection are translucent. By getting out of their own way, these poems let the divine light come streaming through.” —Mirabai Starr, author of Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of Women Mystics www.mirabaistarr.com

“In O My Beloved, Lawrence Edwards shares a precious song of devotion. These poems reflect both longtime spiritual practice and the immediacy and intimacy of moment that is the timeless center of that practice. In sacred and beautiful conversation, Edwards points toward a hopeful space where the longing and loving, broken and whole heart is unconditionally held.” —Rachel Blum, poet, author of Doctor of Flowers  https://rachelblumpoetry.com/

“These whisperings from the Divine are magnificent. As I read O my Beloved, I see spiritual seekers getting off their cushions, spreading out their arms to the sky, and breaking out in joyous song for the Divine Love that has given them life. As the seekers find each other in dance, the surrounding clouds of doubt, fear, brokenheartedness, loneliness, and self-reproach fall away, revealing their fellow dancers, Buddha, Jesus, Lord Yama, Saraswati Devi, Mother Mary, Shekhinah, and Tara. Reading these poems is a Lectio Divina, changing us as we drink the nourishment of Kalidas’ shared freedom. —Robert A. Jonas, EdD, author of My Dear Farness: The Holy Trinity as a Spiritual Practice, retreat leader, musician (shakuhachi), and founder and director of The Empty Bell sanctuary www.emptybell.org

“Kalidas’ renderings of these ‘Whisperings’ throb with the Divine presence. Evoking tears of longing and holy laughter, I found myself savoring them with long pauses to drink in the Beloved’s blessings. The poems overflow with tenderness, passion for the Holy and compassion for the ‘dear mind’ that attempts to reign. Kalidas transmits the Devi’s invitation to go—or be taken ‘where mysteries beyond mysteries unfold.’ Take Her up on her offer and ‘hurl yourself in!’” —Sister Elizabeth Broyles, CMA, cofounder, Companions of Mary the Apostle https://companionsofmarytheapostle.org/

“When the Goddess speaks, she expresses the inexpressible. And this is exactly what she does when she speaks to the poet Lawrence Edwards. She expresses the inexpressible and then urges him, cajoles him, and spurs him on to find a way, to find the words that expresses it to the rest of us—to express the utter, unimaginable grandeur and glory of the Oneness of the All.” —Teri Degler, author of The Divine Feminine Fire: Creativity and Your Yearning to Express Your Self and The Fiery Muse: Creativity and the Spiritual Quest http://www.teridegler.com