The author of this collection of poems has dealt with depression for almost five decades. All but two of the poems have been written in the last five years as a man in his mid-sixties seeks to make sense of the impact depression has had on his life.
Depression can profoundly affect the way one looks at self and at self in relation to faith in God. These poems arise out of loss, disappointment, and pain but also reflect joy, triumph, and faith. An important subtheme touches on the ambivalence faced by the author in choosing to divulge his experience with depression.
Perhaps readers will know firsthand the darkness of depression and the struggle to verbalize the depths of their agony. Maybe they will know of a loved one who might feel less alone in his or her dark valley by entering the author's journey. Readers may simply want to follow the story line that weaves through these poems of one who has battled with an "it" that he describes as "nothing gnawing noiselessly."
