One Light: Poems

by Dana Wildsmith

One Light is a book about a Georgia mother and a daughter who must each take a turn at caregiving. In the first half of the book, the daughter tells of surviving near-fatal burns at age fourteen, and describes with stark straightforwardness the healing process, during which her mother serves as one of her primary caregivers.

In Part II, where both voices are alternately and jointly heard, the daughter moves reluctantly into the role of caregiver as her mother travels dementia’s haunting paths. Their shared love of singing and a stubborn tenacity serve as thematic threads.

80 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2019

Reviews

[Rita Quillen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for a pensive day: beautiful and painful and searing account of first the poet's horrific experience of surviving severe burns as a teenager and her account of her amazing caregivers, including her mother, then followed in the second half of the book by her poignant account of returning that love, caring for her mother in her last days. This is such a deeply emotional and touching book, but not self-pitying, self-indulgent, overwrought, or sentimental. Quite remarkable.

I particularly admired the brilliant idea of "putting words in her mother's mouth" and having her answer the poet with poems of her own, in her own voice, about the awful, beautiful gift/tragedy that is this life passage of helping your parents make their final journey. ONE LIGHT is a book many would admire, relate to, and draw strength and hope from.

[Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally beautiful.