The Unraveling

By Helen Joy George

Have you ever been paralyzed with the decision to leave a marriage that your entire foundational upbringing had prepared you to stay in? 

Have you thought, "I will not make it through this"?

This book of poems explores a codependent w

• Language: English
• Publisher: Helen Joy George
• Release date: Feb 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989926701

Helen Joy George

Helen Joy George, weaves the tapestry of her life into the captivating stories she tells through her lens and words. Raised in the embrace of strict evangelical Christianity, she discovered the transformative power of storytelling as a way to process her life and connect with others.Her journey, marked by the challenges of divorce and mental illness, became a catalyst for her artistic expression and self-discovery. In each photograph and narrative, Helen Joy invites readers to glimpse the resilience that blossomed from the depths of her experiences.As an author, she brings a unique blend of introspection, optimism, and humor to her written word.

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The Unraveling

Copyright © 2023 Helen Joy George

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN (eBook): 979-8-89342-995-4

Dear Believer,

There might be times you are going to want to close this book and never open it again. Some of you will feel uncomfortable reading thoughts that feel so borderline blasphemous to what you have always been taught

Please know I am a believer too.

As I have navigated my doubts about my faith, my distrust for many in the church, and my longing for being rescued from pain, my love for God has not waivered.

However, unlike the divine, the church is imperfect. The personal experiences I share within these pages are limited to the church as an institution not the body of Christ as a whole.

This is my story, my experience. I will always be curious and question, and I’ve come to realize that this does not scare the creator of the universe at all. God can handle my emotions, hurt, and even anger.

While I am searching to find my place in this great big world, I am decidedly not anti church. I am, however, on a quest to bring up hard topics among people who love God so that we can continue to create spaces of safety and joy. Spaces where we can worship the creator and celebrate His insane love for his creation.

Daughter of God.

Contents

I cannot breathe.

STRIPPED

Other

Glory

Daddy wound

Stripped

Is this what you need?

Church

Flicker

Our breath

Empty

TANGLED

Bride

The dance

Sex

Inside

But

Honey

Maybe

Red bathing suit

For Sale:

A good wife

Wildflowers

December 31st

Someone’s daughter

We

Rings

Pastor

Looking in

DEATH OF A MARRIAGE

Like marbles

Interrogation

Climb

Vow renewal

Over

The quiet ways...

Living Coffin

Grandmother’s bowl

Driftwood

Carried

The narrative

Colander

Burying and being born

Confessions

What was I...

Funeral

Finite memories

Grave

Aging

Soft

UNRAVELING

A witness

Unraveling

Repeat

The choice

Saturdays

Fight or flight

50/50

Mourning the dream

She’ll never be satisfied

Capable

Soup

Train tracks

Let go

Precious cargo

Singing

Fools gold

Don’t mind me

What if I had stayed

The river

Healing

Drinking poison

Sifting

Pretending

Fill back up

Identity

Dating

Enough

HOME

Home

Future

Both

Regrets

Crumbs

Stones and blooms

Damn miracle

A string of forever

Climb

Prophetess

Whole

Thank you…

About the Author

Preface

My life almost ended the summer I was 35. It felt like I was watching the end of a movie unfold from above – accompanied by one last swell of the orchestral score. It felt inevitable. After weeks of lying on my deathbed, waiting for the pain of my broken heart to kill me, one afternoon I got enough energy to pull myself onto my feet. I watched myself walk in my nightgown down to the river near my house to plunge myself into the icy mountain water that I usually had to work myself up to enter. I floated on my back and wondered how much longer I would be