I Am, You Are, Part of it All

by Carla Cilvik

We are stardust travelers
Born from a Milky Way track
Ever-expanding into new millennia.
Created of colors, swirling—
The cosmic symphony
Plays our life song.
Our hearts in orbit,
Revolving around an attraction
That no human mind
Can comprehend.

We are all connected.

The stars are within us. The oceans swim under our skin. Plants and animals breathe with us.

These poems explore and reflect our connectedness to each other, nature, and the cosmos. They show how Love is the most powerful force. These poems also offer encouragement when you might feel small or insignificant— like your actions do not matter. I’m here to tell you they do matter. Just like the butterfly effect; every word and action creates a ripple and carries energy throughout time and space. To touch another soul, to touch a piece of nature, to touch the stars.

We are all sharing the same great mysteries.

Within these poems, you can find empowerment from within, and see how I am, you are, part of it all.

162 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

Carla Cilvik is a freelance editor and poet who has had a passion for writing her entire life. She has had the privilege of editing for authors across the globe. She holds her BA in English and Creative Writing from Clarion University. She self-published her first collection of poems, Sanctity of Season in 2017, and currently is working on a second collection tentatively titled, I Am, You Are, Part of It All. She currently lives with her partner, Dave and their six cats in the mountains of northeast Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Dave Gutkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

In ‘I Am, You Are, Part of it All’, seasoned poet Carla Cilvik pierces the heart with the finest of thread and weaves it into the fabric of all reality! As a human being who quite often finds himself walking a fine line between hard science and spiritual connection, I found each one of these verses touching something deep inside of me. Right from the opening poem I knew I’d made a beautiful choice! The final piece is just as powerful.

I’ve read each of them multiple times now and still feel a hard tug every time my own heart strings are gathered into the poet’s weave. Though it’s truly a tapestry by design, I find it’s obvious that Carla wants us to navigate our own path through the fabric. Our journeys are linked but not stitched. The experience is shared, not directed. There’s just something about Carla’s poems that resonates deeply. This collection is a winner!

Poet laureate Lee Pennington’s forward is a masterpiece that truly captures the spirit of this compilation! His recommendations were enough to convince me of the value of this book. His quotes from Carla’s poems are stunning, and yet I’ve added twice as many quotes to my own notes as bookmarks.

“Our souls expand, to collapse into another’s…” (Stardust Travelers)
“Our gifts are folded Up inside of us. We are to remember … how to undo each clever fold—” (Our Gift)
“When you find my miles, you won’t find them measured in footsteps. You’ll hear my heartbeats” (Miles)
My Mountain Home; Wildness; Delicacy;…. So many treats! And I won’t even quote from the poem “Trust”, I’ve run out of tissues for that beautiful love story.

Just get yourself a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

[Dave Gutkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

In ‘I Am, You Are, Part of it All’, seasoned poet Carla Cilvik pierces the heart with the finest of thread and weaves it into the fabric of all reality! As a human being who quite often finds himself walking a fine line between hard science and spiritual connection, I found each one of these verses touching something deep inside of me. Right from the opening poem I knew I’d made a beautiful choice! The final piece is just as powerful.

I’ve read each of them multiple times now and still feel a hard tug every time my own heart strings are gathered into the poet’s weave. Though it’s truly a tapestry by design, I find it’s obvious that Carla wants us to navigate our own path through the fabric. Our journeys are linked but not stitched. The experience is shared, not directed. There’s just something about Carla’s poems that resonates deeply. This collection is a winner!

Poet laureate Lee Pennington’s forward is a masterpiece that truly captures the spirit of this compilation! His recommendations were enough to convince me of the value of this book. His quotes from Carla’s poems are stunning, and yet I’ve added twice as many quotes to my own notes as bookmarks.

“Our souls expand, to collapse into another’s…” (Stardust Travelers)
“Our gifts are folded Up inside of us. We are to remember … how to undo each clever fold—” (Our Gift)
“When you find my miles, you won’t find them measured in footsteps. You’ll hear my heartbeats” (Miles)
My Mountain Home; Wildness; Delicacy;…. So many treats! And I won’t even quote from the poem “Trust”, I’ve run out of tissues for that beautiful love story.

Just get yourself a copy. You won’t be disappointed.

[Kevin Carpenter]

I was delighted to find this book for sale in a local independent coffee shop.
and have been reading one poem each morning as part of my meditation time.
Poetry has not touched me like this in a long time.
‘ highly recommend 👍