Hey guys, Lisa here. I'm so happy to introduce you to my really good friend and former college roommate, Becki. She is an amazing poet and her first chapbook is available for pre-order now! I've read this collection and it is heartbreaking and beautiful at once. And now, without further ado, here's Becki--
Fertility Rites is
the story of my journey from the frustration of trying to conceive, to the joy
of finally succeeding, and then, the devastation of losing my baby at 21
weeks. Most of the poems were
written within a few months of the loss, but they were more than just a way to
process my grief. When I shared
some of them with friends who had experienced similar losses, their responses
reinforced my conviction that I had to share my poems on a larger scale. So I organized them into a chapbook and
began seeking a means of publication.
I had pretty much decided to self-publish electronically when Fertility Rites was accepted for
publication by Finishing Line Press. It is currently available for preorder at www.finishinglinepress.com and will
ship in February. Since the number
of preorders affects how large the print run will be, please help me spread the
word.
Although the content is quite emotional (I recommend keeping
a tissue box handy while reading), Fertility
Rites ends on a note of hope.
The final poem, entitled “From Whence Cometh My Help,” alludes to Psalm
121:1-2. I was inspired to write
this poem while staying at Snug Hollow Farm, a B&B in the country outside
of Irvine, Kentucky. It was there
I came to understand these two verses in a way I never had before.
Snug Hollow Farm is remote and definitely in the hills. The sign that welcomed us to Irvine
read, “where the mountains kiss the bluegrass.” Two curvy roads later, we turned down a narrow gravel lane
that had so many twists and steep hills we weren’t sure our car was going to
make it. Finally, we arrived and
discovered the B&B had no television, no Internet, and our cell phones
wouldn’t work. It was exactly the
escape my husband and I needed. “I
will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” Psalm 121:1
Away from the hustle and bustle of the world and surrounded
by God’s creation, I could finally relax and let God speak to me. It was early May and flowers were
blooming in profusion. The scent
of honeysuckle was in the air. I
felt such peace there. I sat
soaking up the sunshine and marveling at the trees. They had just survived a flood and, years before, a forest
fire. That night, after a tasty,
home-cooked meal and hearing the owner’s amazing story, I lay in bed listening
to a whippoorwill through the open window, a song I had not heard for many
years. All of this was balm to my
grieving soul.
“My help cometh
from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2.
Have you ever struggled with infertility or miscarriage? How did your road to healing begin?
