The Old Time is a rare collection of poems composed by Supreme Master Ching Hai from the time the Poet

was a young adult living in Europe to the present day.

Candid and direct in both style and tone, Supreme Master Ching Hai’s poems vividly portray the impermanent nature of life. In this collection, tale after tale of disillusionment, profound sadness, stinging betrayal and other disappointments all too common in our romantic endeavors are intimately told. Earnestly affectionate, yet

sometimes struck by tragic or unrequited love, the Poet’s intrinsic desire for the Truth constantly shines through, like a star sparkling in the night’s indigo sky.

The yearning for belongingness, inherent in human beings, is coupled with a yearning for total freedom. Such is the paradox of the heart; it wishes to settle down and yet does not want to feel trapped in an ordinary life. This intense dissonance is indicative of a deep-rooted longing for a greater Love and Freedom. Admonishing against superficiality and hypocrisy, the Poet is impassioned about being Free and True to Oneself.