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Ayo Oum Shanti

Poetry Series
Lyrical reflections on life, love, spirit, nature, and human connections in 7 books.

Portraits

Classical-style portrait of an older woman seated by a mirror with shadowy figures behind her, symbolizing aging, fading beauty, desire, and memory in the poem “She of Babylon.”

Classical-style portrait of an older woman seated by a mirror with shadowy figures behind her, symbolizing aging, fading beauty, desire, and memory in the poem “She of Babylon.”

She of Babylon

Poetry - Portraits

Close-up of worn ballet pointe shoes on a dancer’s feet, symbolizing discipline, pain, and the transformative power of movement expressed in the poem “Dokoudovsky.”

Close-up of worn ballet pointe shoes on a dancer’s feet, symbolizing discipline, pain, and the transformative power of movement expressed in the poem “Dokoudovsky.”

Dokoudovsky

Poetry - Portraits

Black and white photo of an older woman with wild white hair smoking at a diner counter beside a coffee and doughnut, symbolizing fading glamour, loneliness, and memory loss in the poem “Portrait of a Broadway Lady.”

Black and white photo of an older woman with wild white hair smoking at a diner counter beside a coffee and doughnut, symbolizing fading glamour, loneliness, and memory loss in the poem “Portrait of a Broadway Lady.”

Portrait of a Broadway Lady

Poetry - Portraits

Photo of an adult daughter holding the hand of her frail, elderly father in a hospital bed, symbolizing caregiving, mortality, and the reversal of parent – child roles in the poem “Changing Roles.”

Photo of an adult daughter holding the hand of her frail, elderly father in a hospital bed, symbolizing caregiving, mortality, and the reversal of parent – child roles in the poem “Changing Roles.”

Changing Roles

Poetry - Portraits

The Dark of the Moon

Photo of a man sitting on the edge of a bed at dawn, staring toward a window with curtains blowing inward, symbolizing awakening, lingering fear, and the shift from night to morning in the poem “Rising.”

Photo of a man sitting on the edge of a bed at dawn, staring toward a window with curtains blowing inward, symbolizing awakening, lingering fear, and the shift from night to morning in the poem “Rising.”

Rising

Poetry - The Dark of the Moon

Close-up of a dried flower suspended in midair with exposed roots and drifting water droplets, symbolizing uprooting, cultural disconnection, and the longing for reconnection expressed in the poem “State of the Union.”

Close-up of a dried flower suspended in midair with exposed roots and drifting water droplets, symbolizing uprooting, cultural disconnection, and the longing for reconnection expressed in the poem “State of the Union.”

State of the Union (pulling roots)

Poetry - The Dark of the Moon

Photo of a young woman rushing past the reflected image of an elderly woman in a window, symbolizing the fear of aging, time’s pressure, and the poem’s question: “Why am I rushing?”

Photo of a young woman rushing past the reflected image of an elderly woman in a window, symbolizing the fear of aging, time’s pressure, and the poem’s question: “Why am I rushing?”

Lash of Time

Poetry - The Dark of the Moon

Photo of a bluebird in mid-flight with wings spread against a clear sky, symbolizing fragile freedom, broken attempts to escape, and the emotional themes of the poem “Broken Wing.”

Photo of a bluebird in mid-flight with wings spread against a clear sky, symbolizing fragile freedom, broken attempts to escape, and the emotional themes of the poem “Broken Wing.”

Broken Wing

Poetry - The Dark of the Moon

Lingual Strata

Photo of a surfboard lying on wet sand near turbulent waves, symbolizing miscommunication, physical struggle, and the ocean’s relentless lessons in the poem “Surfboard Linguistics.”

Photo of a surfboard lying on wet sand near turbulent waves, symbolizing miscommunication, physical struggle, and the ocean’s relentless lessons in the poem “Surfboard Linguistics.”

Surfboard Linguistics

Poetry - Lingual Strata

Illustration of glowing crystal shards and spiderweb-like threads with the word “words” emerging from darkness, symbolizing creativity, expression, and the transformative power of language in the poem “Words.”

Illustration of glowing crystal shards and spiderweb-like threads with the word “words” emerging from darkness, symbolizing creativity, expression, and the transformative power of language in the poem “Words.”

Words

Poetry - Lingual Strata

Abstract cosmic artwork of a human figure dissolving into stardust with multiple shadowed silhouettes, symbolizing expanded perception, identity, and the boundless nature of being in the poem “Who Are We?”

Abstract cosmic artwork of a human figure dissolving into stardust with multiple shadowed silhouettes, symbolizing expanded perception, identity, and the boundless nature of being in the poem “Who Are We?”

Who Are We?

Poetry - Lingual Strata

Young person bathed in warm golden light surrounded by childhood symbols like toys, webs, and kites, representing dreams, memory, and the inner symbolic language explored in the poem "Language".

Young person bathed in warm golden light surrounded by childhood symbols like toys, webs, and kites, representing dreams, memory, and the inner symbolic language explored in the poem "Language".

Language

Poetry - Lingual Strata

Book of Love

A curled skeleton on one side and a glowing woman dancing in swirling blue light on the other, symbolizing death, release, and spiritual freedom in the poem “Free to Dance.”

A curled skeleton on one side and a glowing woman dancing in swirling blue light on the other, symbolizing death, release, and spiritual freedom in the poem “Free to Dance.”

Free to Dance (for Mother)

Poetry - Book of Love

Two glowing human forms embracing on a forest floor, illuminated by a beam of light between their heads, surrounded by gravestones and autumn leaves in the poem “Duet.”

Two glowing human forms embracing on a forest floor, illuminated by a beam of light between their heads, surrounded by gravestones and autumn leaves in the poem “Duet.”

Duet

Poetry - Book of Love

A couple holding hands beneath a star-filled sky with a glowing fire nearby, symbolizing unity, balance, and the merging of opposite energies in the poem “Yin, Yang and Union.”

A couple holding hands beneath a star-filled sky with a glowing fire nearby, symbolizing unity, balance, and the merging of opposite energies in the poem “Yin, Yang and Union.”

Yin, Yang and Union

Poetry - Book of Love

A vibrant cosmic nebula with swirling colors of purple, blue, and gold, filled with glowing stars and radiant light, resembling the iris of a vast celestial eye in the poem “In the Iris of the Cosmic Eye.”

A vibrant cosmic nebula with swirling colors of purple, blue, and gold, filled with glowing stars and radiant light, resembling the iris of a vast celestial eye in the poem “In the Iris of the Cosmic Eye.”

In the Iris of the Cosmic Eye

Poetry - Book of Love

Nature Journal

Golden autumn leaves drifting across a star-filled night sky with flowering branches in the corners, blending earthly growth with a cosmic backdrop, created for the poem "Plow".

Golden autumn leaves drifting across a star-filled night sky with flowering branches in the corners, blending earthly growth with a cosmic backdrop, created for the poem "Plow".

Plow

Poetry - Nature Journal

A single branch transitioning through four seasons: spring blossoms, ripe pears, autumn leaves, and a bare snowy winter branch with scattered seeds on the ground, created for the poem “From the Wood of a Flowering Tree.”

A single branch transitioning through four seasons: spring blossoms, ripe pears, autumn leaves, and a bare snowy winter branch with scattered seeds on the ground, created for the poem “From the Wood of a Flowering Tree.”

From the Wood of a Flowering Tree

Poetry - Nature Journal

Golden-orange koi fish swimming among lily pads in shimmering blue water, with sunlight streaming down and geometric light patterns glowing above, created for the poem “Ode to Joy.”

Golden-orange koi fish swimming among lily pads in shimmering blue water, with sunlight streaming down and geometric light patterns glowing above, created for the poem “Ode to Joy.”

Ode to Joy

Poetry - Nature Journal

Soft-lit Himalayan village at night with glowing windows, misty mountains, and drifting prayer flags, created for the poem “Dharamsala Lullabye.”

Soft-lit Himalayan village at night with glowing windows, misty mountains, and drifting prayer flags, created for the poem “Dharamsala Lullabye.”

Dharamsala Lullabye

Poetry - Nature Journal

On a Lighter Note

Image created for the poem “An Almost Ode to a Paper Clip", showing close-up papers stacked on a desk with a large gold paper clip on top and silver paper clips scattered in small trays.

Image created for the poem “An Almost Ode to a Paper Clip", showing close-up papers stacked on a desk with a large gold paper clip on top and silver paper clips scattered in small trays.

An Almost Ode to a Paper Clip

Poetry - On a Lighter Note

Illustration of frogs leaping and sitting on lily pads at sunset, with tadpoles and fish swimming beneath an orange sky reflected on a calm pond created for the poem “Night Dance.”

Illustration of frogs leaping and sitting on lily pads at sunset, with tadpoles and fish swimming beneath an orange sky reflected on a calm pond created for the poem “Night Dance.”

Night Dance

Poetry - On a Lighter Note

A weary armored knight on horseback lowering his lance toward the ground, head bowed, as if wounded by his own weapon, created for the poem "Truth Elusive".

A weary armored knight on horseback lowering his lance toward the ground, head bowed, as if wounded by his own weapon, created for the poem "Truth Elusive".

Truth Elusive

Poetry - On a Lighter Note

Crowded evening street in Queens decorated with international flags, glowing storefronts, and people walking under vibrant lights at sunset, created for the poem "Olympics Opening Day".

Crowded evening street in Queens decorated with international flags, glowing storefronts, and people walking under vibrant lights at sunset, created for the poem "Olympics Opening Day".

Olympics Opening Day

Poetry - On a Lighter Note

Cosmic Dance

Ancient standing stone under a star-filled night sky and Milky Way, weathered and solitary on a grassy landscape, created for the poem "Monolithic Monologue".

Ancient standing stone under a star-filled night sky and Milky Way, weathered and solitary on a grassy landscape, created for the poem "Monolithic Monologue".

Monolithic Monologue

Poetry - Cosmic Dance

Silhouette of a human figure filled with stars above swirling cosmic waves, symbolizing stardust, energy, and universal connection, created for the poem "Chemistry".

Silhouette of a human figure filled with stars above swirling cosmic waves, symbolizing stardust, energy, and universal connection, created for the poem "Chemistry".

Chemistry

Poetry - Cosmic Dance

Golden cobra rising among laboratory glassware with glowing DNA spiraling around its body, created for the poem "Dance of the Cobra".

Golden cobra rising among laboratory glassware with glowing DNA spiraling around its body, created for the poem "Dance of the Cobra".

Dance of the Cobra

Poetry - Cosmic Dance

Silhouette of a person standing on a dark pier at night, surrounded by stars reflecting on a still lake under a vast star-filled sky, created for the poem "Astronaut".

Silhouette of a person standing on a dark pier at night, surrounded by stars reflecting on a still lake under a vast star-filled sky, created for the poem "Astronaut".

Astronaut

Poetry - Cosmic Dance

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