Episode 38: Creativity and Grief with Kim Langley

Emerging Form

Kim Langley is the author of Send My Roots Rain: A Companion on the Grief Journey, 60 poems and brief reflections combined with suggestions for mindful activities and journaling. The book was well received by individual grievers as well as hospice, palliative care, social work, chaplaincy, and other helping professionals and so is in its second printing. Kim has facilitated numerous writing/discussion circles based on her book.

She has been president of her own speaking/training/coaching company (LifeBalance Enterprises, Inc.) for 20+ years and for more than 10 years has been leading poetry circles, using poetry as the springboard for a “deeper dive” into conversations of belonging. Kim is the founder of WordSPA, a vehicle for sharing the joys of poetry as an inclusive and healing art..

Christie’s tribute to her editor David Corcoran, “Farewell David Corcoran, Dearest of Editors.”

Christie’s Runner’s World essay about her sister-in-law’s death, “The Painful Truth.”

How poetry helped express what Christie was feeling after her sister-in-law’s death.

After we recorded this episode, Christie’s friend Kristina died, and she wrote this Last Word on Nothing post about that loss.

Kim Langley’s book, Send My Roots Rain: A Companion on the Grief Journey

Sitting Beside My Brother at the Funeral

June 1, 2018 by Rosemerry | Edit

There was a time when I’d pull his hair out

if he sat too close to me on the couch.

Now, I curl into his right side,

lean my head on his shoulder,

feel the trembling of his chest

as he weeps. How good it feels

to be close to him as we grieve.

How familiar, the shape of his head,

the heft of his hand as he reaches for mine.

How deeply right, this leaning

into sorrow together.

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