GRIEF IS A MESS, a brief book review

Today's post is a departure from my usual. It's a brief review of a very special book I received from a dear friend for my birthday earlier this month. A book about grief, something we each face as we wend our ways through this complicated life, with all its beauty and pain.

It's title -- GRIEF IS A MESS -- might lead one to think it's a serious book (it is) and that it is weighty (it is not). The author/artist, Jackie Schuld, addresses the issue of grieving with both insight and humor, and most of all a practical compassion. Her animal characters facial expressions, postures, and relationships to each other speak volumes. While beneath them her brief sentences echo them. (The book's front cover [above] and the back cover [below] give you a little taste of her art work. For a better look, visit her website. There's a link at end of this post.)

I live in a retirement community. And before I had the delight of receiving this book as a gift I'd witnessed my fellow residents unfailingly positive responses to it. (Jackie shared copies with us one evening; we have the fortune to have her grandmother living here.)

Jackie has produced a valuable resource for anyone dealing with the turbulence and unpredictability of grief's process. Even if one does not happen to be grieving on reading GRIEF IS A MESS, her art and wisdom will still touch the heart.

Here's her website, the SHOP tab below the octopus will give you all the information about purchasing a copy (or many more, it makes a most wonderful gift): Jackie Schuld: Painter, Illustrator Author. You might also enjoy exploring her other artistic efforts shared on her site.

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PLEASE NOTE: For many years now, I've been posting a poem of mine based on a night dream (and sometimes not) with one of my digital photos accompanying it. If you're curious, just keep scrolling down; I post here every day. And when the scrolling stops, you can go to the archives sidebar [down on the right] for even earlier posts. There are many more years of posts, including non-dream focused posts such as book reviews, writing exercises, haiga, and so on listed by dates in the archives going back as far as 2006.

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until next time, keep dreaming,





[aka: Patricia Kelly]

**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under "View my complete profile") **** My other blogs: ROSWILA'S TAROT GALLERY & JOURNAL; ROSWILA'S TAIGA TAROT; TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT, digital photos; and THE MARKER TAROT. ****

SEEKING THE LOST PIECES (photomorph) & PUZZLES (free verse dream poem) by Roswila

PUZZLES

an evening spent sad and embarrassed
on discovering vengeful feelings
underlie my silence toward him:
this piece of the puzzle hard to take
even as it slips quickly into its place
in the evolving big picture

then in my dreams I'm gifted
with a strange new man: tall, slim, auburn
haired with a neat, trim mustache;
well, when I say gifted, I mean that just
a man new to my dream or waking life,
his stance radiating interest,
is a rare delight

but still, when he reaches for my ankles
I am a bit startled and protective
(they're no great shakes and overly tender)
he pulls back gently, calming commenting
he'd only wanted to re-align them so
my legs would line up better with my spine
(hm, a chiropractor? this could be
extremely interesting, I think)

as he then watches me start to edit
a Harlequin/Silhouette romance (it's freelance
work* I do, I tell him with a little pride: not
in the topic but in the skill it implies)
I wonder if he'll leave me his phone number,
or maybe even ask for mine

sigh, this is all too much like a romance
novel plot and I'm way past weary
after all the waking and dreamed games:
some clarity and directness would be
very much appreciated, like a jig-saw puzzle
already put together, clearly laid out
and available for enjoyment


[free verse poem on a dream of 1-19-17. *Many years ago I did actually do freelance work critiquing Harlequin/Silhouette romance manuscripts that had been submitted for possible publication. I never did become a fan of romance novels, but developed a healthy respect for how much work goes into their writing, editing, and then preparation for publication. Photomorph "Seeking the Lost Pieces" (1-9-17 002v3b) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.

MAGENTA SEEP (photomorph) & AT LEAST (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

AT LEAST

at least the cordyline* does not avoid me,
but keeps reaching out as I pass by,
even tickling my forearm as if to get
my attention; it may be the sun
toward which it truly advances,
but I'm not proud and enjoy
this soft brushing from its
long magenta fingers


[non-dream free verse poem written 1-17-17. * Photo (not mine) of cordyline:

Photomorph at top of post "Magenta Seep" (12-19-16 012v4b) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.

SEA'S EDGE (photomorph) & ROOM FOR IT ALL (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

ROOM FOR IT ALL

come on life, I dare you!
I have room for it all now;
no more shutting down around the pain
so that nothing else -- painful or not --
can get in; I finally see that my heart's
large enough (and larger yet) to handle
whatever you throw at me; whatever
winds up transfixing me as if caught
trying to leap a high barbed wire fence;
hey, just look at all this unfilled
space around me as I dangle; and, see!
right there, below, where the ocean's
tossed up all those shells in shapes
an artist only hopes to approach,
embedded next to glass shards slowly
and surely teased by the surf into revealing
their gem-like beauty, singing their pastels
to the sun, and begging for me to
write a poem about them


[non-dream free verse poem written 1-18-17. Photomorph "Sea's Edge" (12-18-16 021v2n) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.

NAKED GRACE (photo) & CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

CAN'T HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

what's underneath Wonder Woman's
colorful costume and power stance?
a lonely, naked slave girl
waiting to do the bidding
of that ordinary man
who'll see through it all


[non-dream free verse poem written 1-17-17. When this little poem popped today on one of my long walks to the beach overlook, I got quite a chuckle. I recently bought a supply of postage stamps with (can you guess?) Wonder Woman on them. Photo "Naked Grace" (1-14-17 002v2) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.

THE BUTTERFLY TREE (photomorph) & THE WANNABE BUTTERFLY (non-dream free verse poem) by Roswila

THE WANNBE BUTTERFLY

if a chrysalis feels
anything at all maybe
it's this hopeless pain,
this total suspension,
trapped and blinded,
seeing neither forward
nor backward, suffering
an eternal "now" of no
progress, of no touching
or being touched but
for its prison walls


[non-dream free verse poem written 1-16-17. Photomorph "The Butterfly Tree" (1-14-17 002v3c) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,





[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.

CLIMBING THE SUNSET (photomorph) & THE FLYING GALLEON (dream narrative) by Roswila

THE FLYING GALLEON

an artist collective's giving a sale on the
roadside berm of nearly life sized unicorn
models they make in different pastel colors
and lively poses

I say to a friend Look! just what our little
friend would love for her birthday! and I
buy one of these endlessly magical
creatures, hauling its considerable arm
load over to a lush green lawn to check it
out further

when I press a mother of pearl button
shining on its neck it turns into a male
human, full size, with a thick body
made of animated wood

he turns slowly toward me and even more
slowly speaks: Ah, wife, you're here, it's
time now to go home, I'll take care
of you as I promised in our wedding vows

I look him over thoroughly, then watch
the sun glinting in his slicked back brown
hair, and I realize that by pressing his button
I'd not only turned him inside out but
activated his full program, and think that
there are far worse things I could have now
in my life than a strong and handsome, if
somewhat wooden man (hoping he's a bit
more truthful than Pinocchio before
his own change)

suddenly there's a hoopla in the harbor:
the flying galleon has arrived; my "husband,"
friends, and I rush to the dockside; the ship
floats just above the water, and we are all
clearly meant to board; when it's my turn
I can't haul myself up the dark wood side
of the ship, and neither can my "husband"

I try again, but only wind up back on
the green lawn with my "husband,"
pondering our dilemma: it seems our
ship's come in but we're too heavy
to climb aboard; what we need is to
somehow lighten up, get on board,
and go on the adventure this flying
galleon surely offers


[narrative on a dream of 1-14-17. Photomorph "Climbing the Sunset" (12-15-16 021v2c) by Roswila]

PLEASE NOTE: in most browsers you can click on the above image for a larger version. Also, the photo accompanying a post is not necessarily meant to illustrate it, but to reflect some small, even slant aspect of the verse, similar to Japanese haiga (illustrated haiku).

There are many other sorts of posts on this blog. I indicate which are about or influenced by dreams. Some non dream focused posts are book reviews, "regular" poems (some by other writers), scifaiku, writing exercises, Tarot haiku, photos, haiga, and so on. However, most of those are in much older posts. There's a listing by month going back to early 2006, at the end of the sidebar.

* * * *

until next time, keep dreaming,

[a/k/a Patricia Kelly]
**** If you wish to copy or use any of my writing or poems, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”). Roswila's other blog (dedicated to her photos only, i.e. no poetry or other writing; daily post); TRYING TO HOLD A BOX OF LIGHT.