Unravelling

Unravelling is the story in prose and poetry of a daughter accompanying her parents on the unwanted journey of dementia. The journey begins unexpectedly, the road unmarked. Challenging landscapes alter frequently. Surprising views open up, revealing small joys and even humour. The destination is inevitable, the timing uncertain. It's raw - honest and sometimes disturbing. The poems were written in the midst of loss and grief, continuing through the four years it took the author to come to a place of acceptance and peace.

This book was written for you if:

you want company on a similar journey or you want to gain understanding of those who travel this way.

Even if you don't usually read poetry



Unravelling: Loving my parents through dementia is presented as a combination of prose and poetry. Each chapter (group of poems) is introduced by a section of prose to give context.

Poetry can be thought of as 'word snapshots', small moments when a reader is allowed into the inner sanctum of the poet's mind and heart. This collection is in order of the events as they happened so that it reads like a story, following my emotional journey. You can read it in any order, of course, but the story will make more sense chronologically.

You may find the early poems quite stark, even disturbing, but later there are times of humour, pleasure, quiet joy and calm sadness. In life, when you feel there is nothing but pain and loss, it helps to be reminded that the sun still shines gloriously on autumn leaves, good food still tastes marvellous, and there is kindness, often unexpected, to nourish hope.

If the poems distress you, please consider seeking professional help. There are resources at the back of the book for those wanting further information or support.