For centuries the Tao Te Ching, the book of ancient wisdom by Lao Tsu, has offered insight, inspiration and consolation to millions of readers. Although numberless translations and commentaries exist around the world, Return to the Mother, A Lover’s Handbook, is a groundbreaking effort and a unique contribution to the canon of American poetry. In this volume, internationally known poet Red Hawk offers poetic reflections on these much-loved ancient sutras. This collection of 94 contemporary poems (each 16 lines), brings this perennial wisdom into the 21st century—and adds the flavor and fragrance of Zen and Gurdjieff’s dharma teachings in a spare poetic marriage with Lao Tsu.

Each poem invites the reader to bring this wisdom to his or her daily practice of self observation and self remembering. The poet begs for a return to the true Self, which he symbolizes as the place of the Mother within.

This volume is a companion and completion to the author’s two previous volumes Self Observation: The Awakening of Conscience. An Owner’s Manual; and Self Remembering: The Path to Non-Judgmental Love. A Practitioner’s Manual.