Of Death and Grief: Poems for Healing and Renewal

This little book of poems reveals how the author has dealt with the grief that accompanied the death of his wife of fifty-nine years. The poems are a conversation on the journey through the grieving process, which perhaps has no end. Yes, they are permeated with a deep faith that there is more to life than merely living and dying. At the same time, they are honest responses to how painful it is to lose your life partner.

Many of the poems are autobiographical: about first encounter, marriage, life and love together, and death. The actual physical occurrence of death can be readily described by physicians, but its emotional and life effect is much more illusory. Without question, these poems are simply one person’s response to death and grief. They provide no decisive answers on how to respond to either, but if one’s open and honest response can help others address such challenges, so be it.

The goal of the author is not to provide steps for the grieving, rather through poetry to share the thoughts of the heart and mind as they grapple with death and grief. He avers that through the very difficult process of grieving, which may never completely end, love alone is the key to healing and renewal.