This is a personal, 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 death has come, and the caring period has ended. After his father was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, the author, SJP Dooley, became his primary carer. During the challenges of this final year, as his father lay bedridden, the author sought solace in the poems that came to him. This book is the result. The poems in Inside Out Heart journey a broad field, from early childhood remembrances, to family life, wilderness, into the quiet of 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, somehow, the magic that comes at the time of the easing away from the life that has been. Inside Out Heart Volume 2: Diary Notes provides insight into the life of the hospital, the rehab clinic, and eventually the nursing home. This is a clear, uncensored account of the unfolding of a family's confrontation with cancer. From the beginning of the year, completely unaware of what is to come, the hope for recovery, the depression when rehab is stopped, and the slow, gradual deterioration that has to be lived through. Inside these notes you will discover the pain, and sorrow that only a terminal illness can bring. But, if you persevere, as the author did, you will also come across that ever burning light of love, of soul, that remains with us no matter the circumstances. You are welcomed to come on this journey. One that is not easy, but one which we all must take. "In describing the final year of his father's life, Simon Dooley uses diary entries, prose and poetry as a means of inviting readers into the experience of living with death on your shoulder. It is a candid and poignant exploration of being with dying, and deftly reveals how compassion can be the anti-dote for pain and that nothing is more enriching and awakening than each precious moment shared with a dying loved one. It is the story of two ordinary lives overcoming the extraordinary through the love they have for each other. A valuable read that will inform and inspire readers about the mystery surrounding life and death." Dr Michael Barbato, author of "Midwifing dying" and "Caring for the living and the dying""Simon Dooley's 'Inside Out Heart Series' is a deep exploration into the veils of mystery of one human soul navigating his father's death and life afterwards. His words surf in an ocean of emotion, sense, language and colour; his poetic contemplation moves in boundless directions and reveals to us readers 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. A feast for creative expression... I felt, in many moments whilst reading, like I was transported into the multi layered source of Simon's soul. I loved the deep presence and his search to articulate the vivid details of all emerging from him, around him, and in his caring for his father. Not only was his heart on full display, so too was his bravery and courage to lean into all that was flowing into each moment. There seemed to be a powerful commitment to express poetic truth, which I found very moving. So grab a cup of tea, sit upon your porch and enjoy this buffet of the soul. As it did with me, I hope it inspires you inside into your beating, alive, and open heart." Edward M. Harran, Poet" Simon's personal 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," Poet, Artist, Founder at Applied Vision.
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