Excerpt from

Book By Mary Grace van der Kroef

Afraid to look into the shadows of the edge?

It stands there

Reminding

Confining joy

A tickle at the back of the throat

That no ‘ahem’ can clear

Soon speech becomes

A jarring dance of sputter

Cough

See it slither closer within the gloom?

Hiding

Waiting

Whispering guilt

Hear it?

I wear it

Smeared lines

Second guessing

How I’m defined

Still there?

Tell me stranger

Has it become me?

Have I become it?

When you look at me

Do you see guilt?

Words of Weight
Mary Grace van der Kroef

Mary Grace van der Kroef wrote ‘Words of Weight’ in celebration of words and as an exploration of how they connect to emotions and human perceptions. She sent out a call for prompts that held weight or meaning for her readers. They answered her call and so provided the inspiration for this collection of poetry. Mary added several words that weighed on her heart and penned extra poems when she realized a single verse was wondering away from the original prompt. Each poem is an expression of love and a desire to understand language and human thought.

Mary Grace van der Kroef is a poet, writer, and artist from Ontario, Canada. She enjoys her coffee with a pinch of poetry, and alongside good friends. As a mental health warrior, she writes to uplift, encourage and shine a light in dark places. She is the author of two short poetry collections, and has been published by various magazines, such as Fahmidan Journal, and Calla Press.