before/after
is a collection of poems about the grief and loss of a child. The poems take a poignant look at a life cut short, the shock of death, and the impact of this passing on the people that loved them. Kayleigh, J L Herald's oldest daughter, passed unexpectedly at the age of 13. This loss molded the life that came after, as she and her family struggled to find acceptance of the hole that was created in their lives.
This collection of poems are grouped into three distinct sets:
before
- a collection of poems about her daughter, her life and her joy;
between
- after her daughter had been hospitalized and the feelings and hope of her survival, her passing and preparation of the funeral;
after
- from the funeral to present day and the ongoing struggle to remember, but also to forget, exploring the stages of grief - anger, depression, denial, acceptance
This collection was written over a period of 14 years, a journey of pain, of grief, and one of acceptance and even happiness.