Soliloquy to the Night Sky
by Kathleen Gregg
35 Poems ~ 43 pages
Price: $19.00
Publisher: accents publishing
ISBN: 978-1-961127-23-4
To Order: accents-publishing.com
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kathleen Gregg touches the hearts of multitudes who have witnessed the slow decline of a dear one into the oblivion of dementia. The poems contained herein are honest, tender, and do justice to the “heart of things,” as only those can, who have themselves sung their own soliloquy to the night sky.
ADVANCE PRAISE:
Kathleen Gregg’s poignant portrayal of her sister’s descent into dementia displays the attentiveness only deep love can bring. In Gregg’s deft hands, we experience Nancy's “beautiful exuberance” and the sisters’ long tight bond as well as the growing space between them that’s like “standing in a cave / hearing the last echoes.” These poems transmit grief and fear but also a “rush of wonder” at the richness of natural and human worlds. This collection is an homage, finally, not to loss but to life.
–Libby Falk Jones, author of Enchanting the Ordinary: Poems & Photographs
The exquisite poetry in Kathleen Gregg’s Soliloquy to the Night Sky lovingly portrays a bond between two sisters and what happens when one no longer remembers who she is. In tangible vignettes spanning a lifetime, Gregg recounts stories and moments that chronicle a connection so deeply felt it intertwines with their very identities. When Nancy develops dementia and “sorrow beats a fist on that blank wall,” the poet grieves each poignant step toward forgetting. We watch dementia take a wrecking ball to memory and feel every blow striking the poet’s heart. These tender poems might make you cry, but they also will make you feel transcendent love.
–Mike Wilson, author of Arranging Deck Chairs on The Titanic
Kathleen Gregg’s newest poetry collection, Soliloquy to the Night Sky, is a brutally honest summation of the loving bond of sisterhood tragically fraying within the throes of dementia. The emotional rollercoaster of losing the security of one’s ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ to seeing glimpses of the ‘stand in mom’ that still exists somewhere within, is heartwarming, heart wrenching and heart breaking all in the same ride. This collection is a must read for those who find themselves navigating the unpredictable world of loved ones with dementia. Its relevancy extends to all who, at times, find themselves struggling to accept living fully in each challenging moment. Open the book, turn the page and know that you are not alone.
–Wendy Jett, author of the trilogy Girl, Tainted, Woman
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathleen Gregg is the author of Underground River of Want (Finishing Line Press, 2021). She and husband, Charlie, live on five acres outside Wilmore, Kentucky. When she isn’t enjoying the open space and tranquility of country living, Kathleen writes and participates in two writing groups. She is an active member of the Kentucky State Poetry Society, having served as treasurer for four years. Kathleen graduated from the Author Academy program at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky, during which time she was mentored by Jeff Worley, Kentucky Poet Laureate (2019-2021). Her poetry has appeared in The Louisville Review, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Coming of Age Anthology Vols 1 & 2 and Yearling, to name a few. Her greatest desire is to inspire her children and grandchildren to live life to the fullest and not to be afraid to challenge themselves.
FROM THE BOOK:
Soliloquy to the Night Sky
by Kathleen Gregg
Oh unfathomable
universe. I depend
on your shimmer
of stars, the moon’s
mother-of-pearl
luminescence,
to counter the light
vanishing
from my sister’s
eyes.
I lift up
my face to all your dark
mystery, knowing
you care nothing for me.
I crave
that steady indifference,
how your cold
expanse contracts
my sorrow
down to bearable.
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