WHITEBALLOON BOOK REVIEW
‘Poems to better weather the many waves of grief’
In her latest book ‘Loss’, Donna Ashworth brings us poems for some of the most difficult times of our lives – mourning the death of a loved one, facing a death, comforting the bereaved.
Her poems remind us that love and grief are intertwined and that the pain of loss is a consequence of the depth of our love. She reassures us that we can ‘do’ grief our own way, whilst also offering a glimmer of hope that we can live alongside grief, that it is OK to let love and life back in.
What is lovely about this book is that there are comforting and meaningful poems about specific circumstances – death by suicide, the death of a child, a sudden and unexpected death, death through war. She helps us to reflect during those moments in time and annual celebrations when a loss can be particularly hard to bear – Mothers’ Day, or birthdays and anniversaries.
Donna also acknowledges the inadequacy of words when faced with unimaginable sorrow. Her poem ‘Sorry for Your Loss’ articulates this, whilst beautifully describing the depth of love and concern behind those four simple words.
As Donna says at the beginning of her book,
“This book is for those lost on that violent sea of grief, or washed up on a lonely island waiting to feel alive enough again to return to the mainland. This book is not a cure, for there is no such thing. Rather it is a mirror to reflect your suffering back, but this time with comfort and perhaps a little more clarity. This book is a reminder that you are not alone, that this heartbreak connects each and every human alike.
In short, this book is a place to dwell when no other place fits. You can grieve here, my friend. It is very much okay to grieve here.”
‘Loss’ by Donna Ashworth
If you are struggling to find the right words to comfort someone, to express or even understand your feelings, this book of poems may be the right place for you to dwell.