About the Book

From Despair to Hope and Healing: One Woman’s Journey in Poem is a compilation of poetic narrations of the struggles and triumphs of Barbara K. Mezera in her battle against depression. In her journey toward healing, she translates her two decades of intense undertakings of winning over anxiety, shyness, and self-doubt, the effects of her depression. Her poems about struggle to find meaning in her family, career, and relationships are written in a series of dark and illuminating pages of poetry as she eventually finds a new hope and healing in her life. She goes out of her comfort zone to share her story as her way of touching the lives of her readers who are going through the same pain.

About the Author

Barbara K. Mezera has a master’s degree in clinical laboratory science and special education. She has been teaching special education to high school students with special needs. In her free time, she travels, reads, knits, and quilts.

From Despair to Hope and Healing

One Woman's Journey in Poem

Barbara K. Mezera

From Despair to Hope and Healing presents a collection of poetry written over two decades by author Barbara Mezera. lt chronicles the journey of a woman struggling to keep her depression under control and searching for meaning in her job, her career, her family, and her relationships.

Although her verses are dark at times, there is always a glimmer of hope that someday she would fit in somewhere, make a difference in someone's life, and find her own fulfillment and enjoyment. The poems are both personal and universal. ln works such as "Final Solution" and "struggling," Mezera captures the loneliness and desolation of depression. She also offe6 poems like '1uly 25, 1986," celebrating the joyous birth of her nephew, and "The Road to Recovery," considering her long climb to hope and healing.

With this collection, Mezera steps outside her comfort zone to share her poetry with the hope that her words may touch and help others who are facing struggles as she has.

  • Available now from lnspiring Voices
  • www.inspiringvoices.com
  • Order this title through your local bookseller
  • or preferred on-line retailer.
  • 978-1-4624-0837-5 (SC ISBN)
  • 978-1-4624-0838-2 (Ebook ISBN)
La Valle Library News
CONTRIBUTED BY PAM THOMPSON

Author Barbara K. Mezera will speak and read from her book at the La Valle Public Library on Tuesday, January 13, at 6 p.m.

“From Despair to Hope and Healing” presents a collection of poetry written over two decades by Mezera. It Chronicles the journey of a woman struggling to keep her depression under control and searching for meaning in her job, her career, her family, and her relationships.

With this collection, Mezera says she has stepped outside her comfort zone to share her poetry with the hope that her words may touch and help others who are facing struggles as she has.

Mezera was born in southwestern Wisconsin and grew up on a farm. She earned master’s degrees in clinical laboratory science and in special education. She teaches special needs high school students in the Wonewoc-Union Center School District.

Excerpts

Therapy

  • Journaling about me.
  • Journeying to find me.
  • Discovering me.
  • Disclosing me.

Escape

  • I love it.
  • I’ve done a lot of it.
  • My favorite ways—
  • Sleeping, reading, movies,
  • Daydreaming, drinking.
  • Sleep twelve to sixteen hours.
  • If that fails, read.
  • If that too fails,
  • Go to a movie.
  • Should that fail,
  • Daydream.
  • When they’ve all failed,
  • There is always alcohol.
  • With enough alcohol,
  • Escape is guaranteed.
  • At least for a while

Book copies are available at

Paperback | $13.99