4Grief does not possess shape or form. It is different for each of us and affects us all in ways that others often find hard to fathom and understand. And yet our grief is not unique either.

Each of us is likely to experience the searing pain of it in our lives, whether it is from the death of a loved one, a cherished pet or the loss of a relationship and it is how we deal with it that defines us and helps us to carry on.

Messy Memories (Memorias Desordenadas) is a collection of poems by Venezuelan author Andrea Fernández, all written in both English and Spanish, examining the grief she experienced following the death of her beloved grandfather.

His death, while she lived in the United States and unable to go back home during the pandemic, created her own unique sense of loss and was forced to find a way to come to terms with it that many do not.

Comprising five chapters, each one of the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste and touch to describe her feelings at the time, she shows how they grounded her and helped her cope through the healing process - prompting memories and communicating emotions through them that we are otherwise incapable of understanding.