Inside Out Heart Collection: Volume 1: Poems for my dying father & after; and, Volume 2: Diary notes of being with my dying father

Both Volumes 1 & 2 are contained within this compendium of the Inside Out Heart Collection. This is a poetic exploration of what it means for a son to care for his father in his final year of life, and what then arises after. After his father was diagnosed with cancer, the author became his primary carer. During the challenges of this final year, as his father lay bedridden, the author sought solace in poetry. These poems journey a broad field, from childhood remembrances, to family life, wilderness, the nursing home and beyond. Nature symbols fill this work, as does a sense of wonder, and awe. Written from the unique perspective of a son, and carer, Inside Out Heart draws us into the room. We witness the confronting challenges of suffering from a debilitating terminal illness, the heartache, the struggles and the magic that comes at the time of easing away from the life that has been. A clear account of the unfolding of a family’s confrontation with cancer. From the beginning of the year, the hope for recovery, the depression when rehab stops, and the slow, gradual deterioration that has to be lived through. You will discover the pain and sorrow that only a terminal illness can bring. But, by persevering you will also come across that ever burning light of love, of soul, that remains with us no matter the circumstances. Come on this journey, not easy, but which we all must take. "In describing the final year of his father's life, Simon uses diary entries, prose and poetry inviting readers into the experience of living with death on your shoulder. A candid, poignant exploration of being with dying, deftly revealing how compassion can be the antidote for pain and that nothing is more enriching and awakening than each precious moment shared with a dying loved one. 2 ordinary lives overcoming the extraordinary through the love they have for each other. A valuable read inspiring readers about the mystery surrounding life and death." Michael Barbato, Author of Midwifing Death, and Caring for The Living and The Dying “A deep exploration into the veils of mystery of one human soul navigating his father’s death and life after. Words surfing an ocean of emotion, sense, language and color; poetic contemplation moving in boundless directions and reveals to us the exquisite tragedy that is human loss but also the beauty that can arise if one speaks of it fully, as Simon does magnificently here. I loved the deep presence and search to articulate vivid details of all emerging from him and in his caring for his father. Not only was his heart on full display, so too was his bravery and courage in all that was flowing into each moment.” Edward M. Harran, Poet “Simon’s account of his own human and spiritual insights, touch the core of your being, as Simon shares his heart and inner most being in such an expressive, unique way. His story taps into our own stories of grief and loss, happiness and sadness, family and love.”Glenda Frances, Author of Beyond The Rainbow

SJP Dooley is a writer, voice artist, actor, photographer, & co-founder of Stellar Violets Life Library Living Museum & Gallery. Through these, and other avenues, he seeks to give voice to soul, and engage with what it means to be present on this earth at this time. Inside Out Heart emerged from the struggle that was the final chapter of his father's life.