Amazing Grace

Book by Jeannette Drake

Journey Within: A Healing Playbook

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Amazing Grace

By Jeannette Drake

A Vietnamese beggar stoops,

huddles among masses

at one corner of the Walmart.

"Hey!" he yells.

"Hey!" I yell back.

It's the lime hat I wear

that forces him to choose me

from Friday's crowd of hopeful sinners.

In his hand a scrunched scroll

I cannot resist.

"I'm hungry," he says.

Me too, I do not say.

It's his story I want to sample.

Lost among dipthongs

of his native tongue

I give back his papers.

He bows his head

raises one elbow

to hide a scar.

I rub my eyes

like a newborn

his twin

in this garden

of good and evil.

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Jeannette Drake, a licensed clinical social worker, specializes in Dream and Expressive work in group settings. She has conducted individual and group sessions with adults, adolescents and children in schools, colleges, hospitals, prisons, churches, shelters, and art galleries as case worker, counselor, psychotherapist, teacher, tutor, and writer.

Her writings have been published in Honey Hush! An Anthology of African American Writer's Humor, Callaloo: A Journal of African American Arts & Letters, The Southern Review, New Virginia Review, The Book of Hope & The World Healing Books, The Sun: A Magazine of Ideas, Richmond Free Press, Coloring Book: An Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers, DisabilityWorld, a bilingual international web-zine and other journals and magazines.

She has performed as a gospel soloist, acted in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner and leads a monthly book discussion and creative writing group at her church.

Her visual art has been exhibited at Richmond City Hall, the Carillon at Byrd Park and the Richmond Public Library (July 1-August 3, 2005).

A graduate of Hampton University and Virginia Commonwealth University, she lives in Richmond.

May 2005

Journey Within: A Healing Playbook

By Jeannette Drake

Journey Within: A Healing Playbook is a fun tool for anyone interested in personal growth, learning how to be more creative or gaining a deeper insight into The Divine. Section One includes 13 original color abstracts that invite the viewer to intentionally go on a playful, inner journey. An optional guide of play instructions is included.

In Section Two the author's spiritual autobiography provides an inspirational explanation for each drawing.

This Book Is for Someone You Love!

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update 3 August 2008