Hard Poetry: A Family of Children

By Linda Clark-Borre

"You can live without a mother and a father, but you can't live in a world that doesn't make sense to you."
--D.W. Winnicott Hard Poetry: A Family of Children is the story of children left to their own devices in a family headed by an alcoholic mother and a "disappearing" father. The author's memories as the oldest daughter, and the stories of the other children after they are grown, reveal patterns of abuse and betrayal by trusted adults, as well as untellable secrets...and the underlying emptiness that is the source of one family's anguish. In its penetrating witness to the darkness that can obstruct the light of even the best-intentioned people, Hard Poetry reveals the brokenness in lives appearing whole on the surface, as it shows the hidden wholeness of broken ones.

Testifying to the healing power of personal passions and of simple kindnesses, this is a story of grief, helplessness and humor...and finding a way, every day, to live, think, and relate so the world slowly transforms into a place that eventually not only begins to make sense, but feels like home.

Praise for Hard Poetry

"Before one can address the healing of any aspect of our being, it's important to understand the dynamics of suffering, and the purpose it serves in our journey through life. We must acknowledge that we each have a soul that is capable of suffering, and equally capable of an existence devoid of it. This story tells of a remarkable personal journey toward transcendent awareness and self-knowledge, which are elemental to forgiveness, freedom, and the healing process."
--Joyce Hasija, Teays Valley Wellness Institute

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595316182
• ISBN13: 9780595316182
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Visualizing a Future

Five sisters and a brother learn to survive in a family of neglect and violence fueled by alcohol and broken dreams. The story is told from the perspective of the oldest daughter as she searches for a way to fit her own strong,innate personality and curiosity into her parents' image of her. Because she and her siblings are forced to focus on daily survival in a negative, dis-courage-ing environment, as children, none of them develops a sense of future possibilities, of what they could be outside the toxicity of their home. As adults, these children become what we call " transcenders" --- persons who transcend a toxic environment and learn to value themselves and others. What we know of transcenders is that in almost all cases, there has been at least one person in their lives who saw the good in them, who believed in their potential and who loved them. In this true story, that one person is a grandmother, a deeply spiritual woman who, with very limited resources, taught them to value themselves and to minister to the needs of others. This is a wonderful story about the struggle and ultimate success of five sisters. Something I liked very much about this book is that the author adds the perspective of each sister in her own words -- each of whom discovered her own unique way of finding herself -- as well as the words of the mother who's own childhood was a nightmare that she never transcended. This story is a gift of love, forgiveness and self-discovery that will benefit any reader, but especially those who can relate personally to the struggles of this family. Candice Cook, M.S., LCSW Mental Health Consultant/Therapist