Loss is part of every life. And with it comes grief. From the moment we lose our baby teeth to the moment we breathe our last, grief is woven into our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

In this collection of poems ruminating on the universal experience of grief, Rick Wamer offers commiseration, solace, and sunlit moments of reprieve. Rick demonstrates that we have permission to face our grief with the full range of responses - rage, submission, relief, sorrow and even pleasure.

The poet has done the hard work of dissecting grief to expose hidden colors that show up in our experience of it. Instead of grief adding a dark veil to our psyches, Rick shows that grief can offer a rich spectrum of hues and values. He assures us that though our grief is ours alone, we feel it standing shoulder to shoulder with others. He describes the transporting nature of grief as a passage to new places, a grip we feel on our hearts and a new space that opens up to us.

These poems approach grief with a sense of wonder and curiosity. It's in the exploration that we come onto unexpected emotional and physical discoveries. As grief embraces you, this book empowers you to embrace grief.