I have to admit that while writing these poems they seemed random and incomplete, almost meaningless. They were like tiny pieces of a broken mirror randomly scattered across the floor. They were ever so small but their images got under my skin and stuck with me like slivers. They appeared chaotic and out of place until I remembered that they were once part of a greater whole, a unity. And even though they seemed completely haphazard, they reflected brightly in my imagination. Given enough pieces you may interpolate an eternal unity. Depression begins when we lose our sense of unity and see ourselves as isolated, separate creatures. What could be more hopeless, helpless and meaningless than thinking that we are a mortal body that breathes and walks upright for a while but is ultimately condemned to dissolution and decay? Connecting with others in a unity greater than ourselves is the best cure for depression. The slivers cannot define and detail the all, since they are shattered and scattered, but if we step back from them we may make out a pattern and deduce a path. They are like simple, plain pearls that gain their greatest value when strung with other pearls to make a splendid necklace. Metamorphosis, the last poem in this book is an example of this. Each stanza is short and encapsulated, only loosely tied to the one before and the one after it. It becomes a whole poem as it leads from depression ("existing to call existence a lie") to compassionate playfulness ("be as a child in the presence of the Divine") What we believe makes up our spiritual understanding. The place in our minds where we choose our convictions is the seat of our free will. Only we decide where we put our faith. And it is the only place where we can heal ourselves. Picking better beliefs is spiritual healing. I hope you enjoy this little book of poems for the beauty that words bring. But more importantly, I hope you find enough encouragement in them to change your mind, to forgive, and to heal yourself.
About the Author: David Kenney studied literature and psychology at the University of Detroit-Mercy where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a Specialist's degree in School Psychology. He is a past president of the Michigan Association of School Psychologists and was liaison to the Michigan State Board of Education. David is a seasoned speaker, having presented to professional groups at colleges, universities and at educational in-services. He has been a speaker to parent groups and professional associations concerning issues surrounding foster care, adoption, defusing anxiety and raising successful children. David has been a school psychologist for over twenty seven years in a diverse group of educational settings. He has worked in urban, suburban and rural settings and has acted as a mental health specialist, implementing programs to meet the psycho-social needs of our children. But no work experience was more educational than raising traumatized children to healthy maturity. Children wounded by the world have been given little reason to trust it, so there were no guarantees of successful outcomes. Through his committed efforts, David learned strategies to heal harmed children. His expertise and insights have been recognized by colleagues, who continue to seek him out for mentoring and training.