MORNING LEAVES
Reflections on Loss, Grief, and ConnectionLaing Rikkers
IBPA Gold Award for Poetry 2024
Winner Forward Review INDIES - Grief Category
PubWest Awards for Cover & Poetry Book Design
Gold Medal Feathered Quill Design Award 2023
Morning Leaves is a book of poetry inspired by the loss of author Laing Rikkers’s sister. The writing and the artwork encourage us to connect more deeply to nature, one another, and ourselves. Many find it an inspiration for daily reflection and meditation.
The book is a secret garden filled with reminders of our humanity and the shared life force that links us and the natural world. The lush descriptions and exquisite artwork will resonate with something deep and true as you explore and discover your own path.
“Just as Laing Rikkers truly sees nature and listens to its messages, so do her poems witness each of us—our own struggles to break through the cracks, to bud, and blossom—even to feel permission to wither and decay, only to bloom again. Morning Leaves is a gift to all who open their eyes to its images and their hearts to its whispers and exhortations.”
—Faith Salie, Emmy-winning contributor to CBS News Sunday Morning and author of Approval JunkieAbout
Laing Rikkers has been a leader in the field of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), an often hidden - and potentially fatal - medical condition. After her sister died of undiagnosed OSA, Rikkers sought solace from nature and creativity and wrote Morning Leaves, a book of poetry to help others navigate grief, loss, and self-discovery.All of the original art for the book was painted by Kelly Leahy Radding, an artist and student of nature. Radding was able to bring visuals to the words in a way that enhances the reader’s experience and makes the book uniquely beautiful.