Prebilic is an independent author who writes and analyses children's literature. She holds degrees in psychology and business. In this essay, Prebilic discusses how Jane Hirshfield's poem invites readers to experience the wholeness of love, including its dark side.

The poem "Three Times My Life Has Opened," in Lives of the Heart by Jane Hirshfield, shares three significant events that caused the speaker's life to be changed in a memorable way. Hirshfield's introductory line proclaims that her life has opened three times. Opened to what, the readers do not know, and this intrigue draws readers to examine the poem repeatedly. This attentiveness will enable the reader to grasp a deeper meaning that can ultimately enlighten or transcend the reader's life. This action is precisely Hirshfield's attempt. She hopes to lure readers into attentiveness, to give them things to think about that will have them eventually walk away...