A 74-year-old poet from Westbrook has published a book of poetry and prose she says came directly from God. Elizabeth Haldane Sawtelle, a former secretary at Westbrook Junior High, self-published The Light Within: Poetry and Inspirational Messages through the Indiana company Authorhouse earlier this month. Reached at her home last week, Sawtelle says God usually wakens her in the middle of the night and compels her to create “automatic writings.” Sadly, the Lord is often frustratingly short on details.“I get messages on love and the importance of understanding each other and understanding other faiths and walking together and having respect and not judging,” Sawtelle says. “This is basically what most of the poems’ messages are about.”
No advice on how to responsibly end the Iraq War, or how to fight poverty, or whether God approves of a Hooters in the arts district?
“No, [the messages] just say mostly throughout about praying and about putting his light out into the world.”
Sawtelle is the daughter of a Protestant minister who worked at various churches in Maine. She says she has heard God since she was a child and that often the messages come to her in verse. During a near-death experience last year, Sawtelle promised God she would publish a book of his messages if she returned to Earth.
Though she claims to communicate with the Almighty, Sawtelle says she’s not frustrated when he doesn’t explain why bad things happen. Like, Lord, what was up with the 2000 election?
“I don’t always get the answer, just the same as everyone else,” Sawtelle says. “But I think that I’ve understood that all of the bad things that happen in our lives don’t come from God; they come from human beings and the way that we live our lives. I just don’t believe that God causes terrible things to happen to people.”
Sawtelle’s book is available at Borders in South Portland, Leapin’ Lizards in Portland, and other area bookstores.
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