There is a place where love walks hand in hand

with poetry and melodies of song.

It is a sunlit stretch of golden sand

where only gentle hearts in love belong ...

—Adonna Marie Gipe

Adonna Marie Gipe is a passionate poet whose writings reflect her love of God, nature, family and friends, the creative life, and the electrifying joy of loving others.

In this varied collection of love poems, Gipe employs traditional styles, such as sonnets, blank and free verse, rondeaus, villanelles, and other forms, to share poetry that marries love and heartache with nature and faith. Rich in metaphor and simile, her words beam like sunlight through the trees, the crackling fire of laughter warms a soul, a heart wounded by life's pain overflows with love's warm touch, and a precious gift from God is wrapped up and sent from heaven..

Hopefully, this collection will inspire others to both accept and give love in a world that needs it more now than ever.

*Songs Before Dawn, by Adonna Gipe, is perhaps one of the most aesthetically pleasing poetry books I have read in decades. The poetry within this book blends a unique tapestry of poems of faith, love, contemplation, natural beauty and more. The poet skillfully blends deeply meaningful and beautiful phrasing to convey her thoughts. By this I once again refer to aesthetically pleasing poetry. Importantly, her poetry allows the reader to insert him-herself into the read, thus becoming part of the poem itself. Whether it's an English sonnet, quatrains, blank verse, etc., each poem within this book is stellar and leaves the reader sated, yet yearning for more of her verse. Without a doubt, Ms. Gipe's ability to create word art in the form of poetry is second to none.

—Ray Griffin, teacher, poet, writer.

Reflecting the heart of a true poet, Adonna Gipe has a masterful ability to weave words and phrases into beautiful, emotionally connected fabrics ...

—Garrett Cooper, former CEO of Ambassador Enterprises and Taylor University faculty member