What you will find within the covers of this book is truly some very wonderful work from around the world. The response to the call for this anthology was tremendous; with so many submitting work that honoured not only grandmothers and other elders, but skills and traditions lost, a remembrance of others who have affected both their and our lives, and even in the shadow and light of all that - the projections on those authors and poets both here today and into the future. This is a wonderful anthology in which I had the honour and privilege of editing - and I was humbled and touched by all that I read; and as much, the joy of working with these outstanding writers bringing their own experience, vision and voice. It is their heart you will find in this book. It is in this light that I would like to take the opportunity and this space to personally thank them individually. My heartfelt thank you to each of the thirty-six contributors within goes out to: Arleen Pare, Carol Rose, Carole TenBrink, Carolyn Hei-Kyoung You, Emily Bilman, Eriana Marcus (ELM), Gene Barry, gillian harding-russell, Gina Nemo, Honey Novick, Kat Evans, Kay Kinghammer, Kelsey Jean Marie O'Toole, Laurie Lewis, Leah Vine, Lihle Shezi, Lucy Barnett, Mahasty Eslahy, Michael Hurley, Mike Williams, Patricia Ross, Richard M.(Tai) Grove, Robert Gibbons, Roz Bound, Ruth Buckley, Ruth Morris, Sarah Rahman, S E Richardson (Sarah Elizabeth), Shane Joseph, Sheila Horne, Dr Shruti Das, Silva Zanoyan Merjanian, Sonja Grgar, Dr. Subhendu kar, Susan Ioannou, and Wilika Matchweta Asimont. Bruce Kauffman Editor-in-Chief Melinda Cochrane International