Real Life, Real Pain, Real Love: Modern Day Poetry

By Valerie Kay

Featuring inspirational poems such as Walking by Faith, In Deepest Sympathy, Sea of Tears, Pages from Within, Harry Got Saved, Overdosie-doe, and many more!

This book contains the raw and genuine (and sometimes graphic) poetry written by Valerie during the years she suffered with CPTSD. The process of writing during her darkest times, which she refers to as the ‘Black Hole of Pain’, was very therapeutic for her, even a way of escape. Countless others have shared that they had experienced being inspired, instilled with hope and even stirrings of emotional healing when they have read her writings. Whether you have been a victim or if you are doing selfish things that are hurting other people, may you find the strength and the courage that you need within these pages to believe that you can be set free from the torment of secret shame and pain!

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards mental health awareness, suicide prevention initiatives, and Haven of Oakland County. www.haven-oakland.org

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664227170

Valerie Kay

Valerie is a creative writer based in Southeastern Michigan, just outside of Detroit. She is the author of Real Life, Real Pain, Real Love, Modern Day Poetry by Valerie Kay. As a young child and throughout the years of her recovery and healing from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD), Valerie began to use writing as an emotional outlet. She desires to share her works to encourage others that they too can recover! She’s become an advocate for Mental Health Awareness and suicide prevention initiatives. Having lived with emotional pain and the stigma of mental illness for decades, she has a heart to inspire others that by faith, there is hope and a path to recovery! No matter how bad it has become, you CAN recover! Valerie is the seventh out of a family of eight children, a mother and a grandmother.

Book preview

Pages From Within

There’s a story in my heart I write some every day

It is seen in my home and in my work and play

The people that I love are in it the main character is me

My story will be written ‘til I meet eternity

Right now it’s being published by unseen hands and pen

When I die it will be done a completed book by then

Given only one chance to live this manuscript

You can see some pages yellowed; some are torn and ripped

Yet others are still fresh with ink, some happiness, some strife

But the binding’s strong the pages hold the contents of my life

Knowing I can’t edit the pages that are done

I keep in mind what to write for pages yet to come

We are writing our own books we sometimes meet in chapters

I hope and pray that we all end with happily ever-afters

When God sits down to read our books will He be abhorred?

Or will it please and honor Jesus Christ our Lord?

The Company of One

In a fast paced, crazy world he strives to find some peace

An occasion to be by himself might provide release

To set himself apart for just a little while

To rest, reflect; perhaps ponder the last time he did smile

Then when he is refreshed he can rejoin others

Family, friends, acquaintances, a lover, sisters, brothers….

But so much time is spent on petty idle chat

He’d rather run an errand to take care of this and that

Now he’s off on business there’s things that must be done

The last thing on his mind is the company of one

As the years go by his social life turns dull

But with all that’s he’s accomplished his bank account is full!

With all his worldly goods he seems to be content

Yet unbeknownst to him his best years have been spent

But hindsight’s 20/20 and he senses something’s wrong

He’s alone all day and alone all night long

Sure, he’s ‘got it all’ but possessions can’t converse

His happy disposition appears to be much worse

Gazing out the window at a lonely little gate

Nobody walks through it despite how much he waits

Stricken with regret he hates what he’s become

He finds himself each day in the company of none

Finally, the day that he’s been waiting for

There’s not only one but many at his door

One starts roping off and another placed the