D. Eric Hanson

Acedia D. Eric Hanson

Acedia, a Latin word, is variously defined as apathy, boredom, or sloth, one of the seven deadly sins. It derives from the Greek akedeia, which means grief and is perhaps more appropriate, especially in this case. These definitions, however, seem to allude to a description of symptoms rather than an actual meaning. Acedia is also considered a condition; a spiritual depression or separation from God. Mother Theresa mentions an extensive period of feeling estranged from God in her book Come Be My Light, and it is the source of St. John of the Cross's poem "Dark Night of the Soul". As both Thomas Moore and Robert Wick have observed in Dark Nights of the Soul and Riding the Dragon, respectively, distress can be a great source of personal growth, if one has the determination (or temerity) to face it head-on. These poems, therefore, are a chronicle of both the cause and effect of my own personal descent in to the proverbial abyss. This book is collection of poems about lost love, the soul, and life's journey. They are primarily ballads with some sonnets, and free verse. There is even an occasional one with visual structure. There are 86 poems in this book.