crash & bloom: A poetry collection of grief & gratitude

By Sara Machnik

mama, am I going to make it, is it going to be okay
will I lose my breasts, my hair, my eyelashes
will I lose my identity, femininity, my dignity
will I recognize myself in mirrors, in photos, in memories
who will I become if I no longer look like your daughter
mama, what do I make of this life that's not my own

Grief, loss, isolation, depression... what do you do when, as a young woman, a cancer diagnosis
crashes into your life, taking away your identity and your vision of the future? Crash & Bloom
charts the poet's personal cancer experience as a young woman, in the middle of the pandemic,
as she attempts to find her way forward. The poems in this collection are also a celebration-a
celebration of life at its bare bones and the strength and grace that it's possible to find in times
of extreme challenge.
Crash & Bloom is dedicated to those moving through the stages of grief, and as a validation of
young people with cancer, especially women, to show them they are not alone and there is
beauty, joy, and creativity on the other side.

when I was shaken
off my feet
I fell to the ground
looked up
saw the stars
the mountains
& felt the bliss
of absolute stillness
in my soul

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1038316839
• ISBN13: 9781038316837
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: FriesenPress
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"