"My Father's Daughter" honors the period of depression Kerry Payne Stailey entered in her mid-life. It reflects upon the parallels between her and her father, who died by suicide, addicted to alcohol, and challenges her deeply held fear of meeting a destiny similar to his. "My Father's Daughter" is Kerry's tribute to the scars she bears from these experiences, which were not of her choosing, but hers alone to survive. It is a cathartic release, a full-circle arrival to redemption, in which forgiveness and love have been her way home.
“Everything beautiful was nothing I deserved, for shame is its own veil, and veils the world as much as its face” -Denis Johnson.
Delving into issues faced by millions, yet rarely discussed — depression, addiction and suicide — all of which are on the rise worldwide, "My Father's Daughter" honors the period of depression Kerry Payne Stailey entered in her mid-life. It reflects upon the parallels between her and her father, who died by suicide, addicted to alcohol, and challenges her deeply held fear of meeting a destiny similar to his. "My Father's Daughter" is Kerry's tribute to the scars she bears from these experiences, which were not of her choosing, but hers alone to survive. It is a cathartic release, a full-circle arrival to redemption, in which forgiveness and love have been her way home.
"(In my sleep I dreamed this poem) Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift" —The Uses of Sorrow, Mary Oliver.