Wakes of Joy

Nominated for the Eric Hoffer Award 2026

New York Book Festival 2025 Runner-Up

Wakes of Joy is a lyrical meditation on presence, surrender, and joy—an ode to the miracle of being alive.

Inspired by the teachings of Gangaji and rooted in the silence of Ramana Maharshi, these poems explore the ripples of insight that arise from stillness—like the wake left behind in water: evidence of movement, yet ultimately dissolving into vastness.

Many of the poems emerged through deep immersion in Gangaji’s teachings during a four-year period beginning in 2020—the year I joined the Gangaji Foundation and began transcribing her talks with a hunger to hear more. Over time, I became a prisoner correspondent, then a transcriber, and eventually, in 2023, the Foundation’s Prison Program Correspondence Coordinator. That listening, that silence, that deepening—has flowed into the writing.

More than a personal journey, Wakes of Joy pulses with the shared experience of being human. These poems are offered in the hope of awakening a quiet recognition—a remembering of joy, always present, always waiting to be seen.

Whether you’re drawn to poetry, personal discovery, or simply to moments of truth, my hope is that Wakes of Joy will serve as companion for the journey, wherever you are on it.

Read the feature and selected poems on the Gangaji Foundation website here

Click here or on the book cover to order from Amazon. Or click on a button below to order elsewhere.

Wakes of Joy is also available at many other online bookshops & high street stores worldwide.

A few poems from Wakes of Joy

These poems are small ripples from a larger stillness—glimpses of presence, nature, and the quiet turning toward what has always been here.

Each is a doorway, an invitation to pause, to feel, to remember.

Note to Self

As traffic slows in the fast lane of thought, a bump, a jolt— mind’s sure road falters. I see a figure on the curb, beckoning me over, telling me to stop. ‘I am Truth,’ it says, opens the door, slides onto my lap, grabs the wheel, climbs up my arms, and settles in my heart. You may wonder who or what Truth is— to be honest, I can’t say. But next time you’re driving in the fast lane of thought, slow down, look out— Truth will be standing there, waiting, inviting you to stop, and let it take you home.

Grand Oak

May I return here, to you, Grand Oak, and this place by the pond, where herons may stand, boatmen may skate, mallards may fight, may mate. May I return to this place, where mosquitos bite and children shriek, their nets coming alive with stickleback. And again, may I return here, to sit by the pond where lilies bloom, breezes blow, and pollen, petals, acorns fall, where water, pads, mud, grass, and my hands receive all they are given. May I, may you, may we, simply return here again and again, and know without knowing how we dwell deep inside your heartwood, and you dwell deep inside ours.

How Could I Have Guessed

How could I have guessed as I spun inside those clouds that turned from grey to blacker than black, spitting hailstones large as frogs— that this was the way not to death, but to life, that those ammunition balls were not hurled to hurt, but to burn the rigidness into fine and fertile ash. How could I have guessed that I would then be lifted up into the same fierce storm, to be floated back down fresh and light as snow.

Hope for Our Home

I invite you to walk barefoot on grass when you can, and at every crossroads choose to follow this less-trodden path. Close your eyes and feel the softness, the wet, wet dew, and perceive the many seeds you know are there, with slugs and worms, a finger-poke deep in the dirt. Be still, and choose this way of humility, of respect— for the land, for the good, green world, where each step holds hope for our home.

Readers Impressions

Words shared by readers who encountered Wakes of Joy and felt moved to respond.

“A luminous, deep-soul collection.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“Wakes of Joy is a powerful collection of poems that speak straight to the heart. Each piece resonates deeply, echoing the Truth of who we really are through simplicity and stillness. I enjoy reading one poem a day, allowing its message to gently marinate in my soul. Diana's words have a way of weaving themselves into the quiet space...into the silence...where something deeper is remembered.

This book is the perfect companion to carry with you, a gentle reminder of the Divine beauty that resides in all of our hearts. Uplifting, grounding, and profoundly peaceful.”

— Amazon Reviewer

“These poems are not only beautifully written, but they are also alive with presence, longing, and truth.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“What a beautiful collection of crafted words that take you on a journey visiting the very small and the very big but always honest and intimate. The reflections accessible, at times relatable and playful, and at others offer fresh perspectives or insights into views unseen. I particularly enjoyed Candle on a Drafty Sill and All that Matters while By Water's Edge was somehow eerily beautiful. Definitely work that I will revisit and that I can recommend.”

— Amazon Reviewer

“If you love poetry that stirs reflection and lifts the spirit, this book is for you.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“What a joy to discover a book that carries me, poem by poem, to new understanding in a search for bliss.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“An awesome book.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“Wakes of Joy moved me in ways I didn’t expect. These poems are not only beautifully written, but they are also alive with presence, longing, and truth. “Rumi and I” was especially unforgettable. It captures the intimacy of the inner journey with such tenderness and surrender that I felt as if I, too, had taken the plunge into the mystery. This book is a companion for anyone longing to remember who they truly are.”

— Amazon Reviewer

“Diana's words have a way of weaving themselves into the quiet space...into the silence...where something deeper is remembered.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“Wakes of Joy is a beautiful, heartfelt collection that feels both intimate and universal. Each poem is a window into the author's deep emotional world, yet somehow it echoes your own thoughts and experiences. I found myself returning to several poems just to sit with their quiet wisdom a little longer. If you love poetry that stirs reflection and lifts the spirit, this book is for you.”

— Amazon Reviewer

“The reflections accessible, at times relatable and playful, and at others offer fresh perspectives or insights into views unseen.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“A personal journey - a universal journey! What a joy to discover a book that carries me, poem by poem, to new understanding in a search for bliss. This book has found its resting place beside my bed and will be well thumbed over the coming years, and be a gift to share with close friends. Thank you for this creation.”

— Amazon Reviewer

“Poetry for the soul.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

“A delight, a wonderful place to stop a while and to keep coming back to.”
— Amazon Reviewer of Wakes of Joy

Next

Wandernde Wellen der Freude