Acedia, a Latin word, is variously defined as apathy, boredom, or sloth, one of the seven deadly sins. It derives from the Greek akedeia, which means grief and is perhaps more appropriate, especially in this case. These definitions, however, seem to allude to a description of symptoms rather than an actual meaning. Acedia is also considered a condition; a spiritual depression or separation from God. Mother Theresa mentions an extensive period of feeling estranged from God in her book Come Be My Light, and it is the source of St. John of the Cross's poem "Dark Night of the Soul". As both Thomas Moore and Robert Wick have observed in Dark Nights of the Soul and Riding the Dragon, respectively, distress can be a great source of personal growth, if one has the determination (or temerity) to face it head-on. These poems, therefore, are a chronicle of both the cause and effect of my own personal descent in to the proverbial abyss. This book is collection of poems about lost love, the soul, and life's journey. They are primarily ballads with some sonnets, and free verse. There is even an occasional one with visual structure. There are 86 poems in this book.
Author: D. Eric Hanson Publisher: Hero's Journey Press Published: 12/06/2013 Pages: 102 Binding Type: Paperback Weight: 0.35lbs Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.24d ISBN: 9780615904078
About the Author Eric worked for over 20 years in a combination of weed and forest science and management across the western US. He has a Master's degree from Colorado State and a Ph.D. from Oregon State. He was a research assistant at both institutions and a professor of Forestry and Natural Resources at the American Samoa Community College. Rather spontaneously, Eric began writing poetry in late 2008, not having written a single poem in over a decade prior to that. At present, he has composed over 250 poems, with another couple dozen in various stages of development. Acedia is Eric's first literary publication. Eric presently lives in Great Falls, Montana with his two cats, M.C. Escher and Ginger, and four, "twenty-something" roommates. He works as a cook and handyman to support his affliction of writing.
