Collected here are sensitive poems, filled with hope, because they spring from the heart of a poet who counts hope and faith as intimate friends. (inside jacket cover.).

Sachiko Takata was 14 years-old when an atomic bomb dropped on her hometown of Hiroshima, Japan. In an instant her world was changed. Her mother died shortly after Japan's surrender. The devastation of war and the loss of her mother awakened in Sachiko's heart a deep resolve to devote her life to building a world of peace where the dignity of all human beings is respected and the peril and haunting specter of nuclear war is nonexistent. Given her experience with war, it was ironic that she would marry an American soldier, LeRoy Bailey. It was in the United States that she was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism and credits her practice of Buddhism, as well as her mentor, Daisaku Ikeda, with saving and transforming her life. Through his example, she was able to learn how to tap the innate power of her spirit to weather life's storms; to change poison into medicine; to win over all obstacles, and to turn winter into spring. Because of her growth and understanding of life, Sachiko Takata Bailey now thinks of August 6, 1945, as Victory Day, because the victorious and optimistic person she became emerged from the ashes and ruins of Hiroshima.

An exquisitely illustrated edition of a timeless poem. Robert Frost s realistic depictions of rural life, especially of New England in the early twentieth century, are beautifully paired with the art created by Grandma Moses, the artist who epitomizes contemporary folk art. The result is a treasure to be enjoyed the whole year long. In spring, we give thanks for the natural and spiritual joys of the season. Moses s illustrations complement Frost s descriptions of the flowers, trees, bees, and other sights and sounds, which evoke a time of renewal and rebirth with illustrations that depict a place of quiet contemplation and endless possibility. A Prayer in Spring is a wonderful gift for lovers of Frost, Moses, poetry, and folk art, as well as for Easter baskets, birthdays, new babies, or for children and adults who can t wait for the season."