A COURSE IN MIRACLES, a beloved spiritual publication that has been translated into over 24 languages and is being studied by students all over the world,. was "scribed" by Dr. Helen Schucman between 1965 and 1972 through a process of inner dictation. She experienced the process as one of a distinct and clear dictation from an inner voice, which earlier had identified itself to her as Jesus. Helen Schucman's scribing of A Course in Miracles began with these words: "This is a course in miracles, please take notes."
During the transmission of A COURSE IN MIRACLES and continuing after its completion, Helen wrote the poems in this volume. Readers familiar with the Course will be aware of the stylistic similarities between the two, as well as their shared spiritual content. Despite these similarities, Helen felt that there was a difference between them. She considered herself the "scribe" of the Course but the "inspired author" of the poems.
The poems were written over a ten-year period. They have been divided into four sections: Early Poems, Personal Poems, Later Poems and The Gifts of God. The actual dates of the poems may be found in the appendix.
The poetry included in the first section dates from March to November of 1971. (There was one earlier poem, "The Gifts of Christmas," which is included with the other Christmas poems in the third section.) These poems were written while Helen was still scribing the Course and deal with spiritual themes found in it.
The personal poems in the second section were written between December, 1973 and February, 1977. They clearly express the ambivalence of Helen's relationship with Jesus: both her love and longing for him, and her fears and wavering faith.
The third section covers a wider span of time--from "The Gifts of Christmas" to Helen's final poem, "The Second Easter," completed in March, 1978. The last poem in this section, "Requiem," was written for a friend whose mother was near death.
The fourth section consists of a long blank verse poem in five sections which is printed here in prose form. It bears a marked similarity to the material in the Course, both in form and content.
