These poems are written by the mother of two young men with a life-limiting condition about her role as their carer. There is no trace of sentimentality here. You’ll find anger, fear and regret, but alongside those sit the day-to-day joys and flashes of humour that most families experience. Even tough subjects such as the challenges of caring for those with extreme disabilities and other people’s attitudes are addressed matter-of-factly, and Trish Kerrison’s poetry is all the more powerful for that.

“Honest, poignant and true, these poems give us a startling insight into one carer’s life, with all its extremes and mixed emotions, not excluding real joy and humour. The poems open our eyes to how much more empathy and understanding is needed from a complacent world, and leave us strengthened by the power of human resilience and love.” – Cathy Grindrod

Trish Kerrison was a nurse for thirteen years, and is now a Tutor of Adult Literacy. She is also the mother of four children, the eldest two of whom have the condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic disorder, primarily found in boys, which causes progressive and life-limiting muscle failure. In 1996, when her sons (then aged two-and-a-half and one) were diagnosed, their prognosis was eighteen years. They are now in their late twenties.

Five Leaves New Poetry #2