Happy April! This week, I am sharing some exciting news! I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing a beautifully written book of poetry by my good friend Elaine Rush. Her debut poetry book is entitled, Everyday I Fight, poems about pain and trying to stay positive. It's an emotionally evoking read that leaves you (the reader) feeling the highs and lows that far too many who experience chronic pain and or a chronic illness. Elaine paints a beautiful and dark picture of what chronic pain while having a chronic illness can be like for her. My interview with Elaine will follow this review.
One of my favorite lines from the book goes as follows:
"Sure, you'll leave your mark as I lay in the dark and wonder when you strike. But my defiance burns brighter than your might. And every day I fight."
I deal with chronic pain, and that particular line was one I could relate to at every possible level. When you live with chronic pain or illness, it's one of those things where you don't know how you can accurately tell someone what it feels like to you, let alone what and how it affects you when it comes to living your own life. The impact it can have on you is very overwhelming and frustrating. But Elaine reminds us that having faith while keeping your fighting spirits up is vital for anyone battling anything in this life.
The Interview With My frend/Poet Elaine Rush
Introduction:
This month I am excited to announce that we have a brand new book review and interview for all our followers at the abler blog to checkout welcome my good friend and fellow poet Elaine Rush to our platform.
Q1 Your poems are so full of emotion--I know you told me that your writings are on your personal experiences with chronic illness and chronic pain.
Would you tell our readers what that condition is and how it affects you and your life?
Q 2 I also noticed you use a lot of nature imagery to describe your pain and feelings. Do you find the outdoors helps you stay calm when you have bad days managing your symptoms?
Q 3 I believe a writer's journey starts long before we hit the "submit button" can you tell us when your love of writing began for you?
Q 4 You mentioned that this collection helps those in your position.
If someone comes across this looking for advice on how they should manage their pain, illness, whatever it may be--What would you say to them?
Q 5 Which poem from your book best expresses your journey with your chronic illness pain and why?
Q 6 In the dedication section of your book, you've mentioned several people who have supported you throughout your journey-one of them being your son. How much does he know and understand about your illnesses?
Q 7 How difficult would you say it is for you to raise a child while balancing chronic illnesses and pain on daily bases?
Q 8 One of my favorite lines from the book goes as follows:
"Sure, you'll leave your mark as I lay in bed and wonder when you strike. But my defiance burns brighter than your might. And every day I fight."
What line or lines Were particularly therapeutic and enjoyable for you to write and why?
Q 9 Will there be a second book/collection coming in the future?
Q 10 If you had a spirit animal that describe your writing style to a T, what would that animal be? And what do you call them (it)?
Q1. Thank you. Yes, they're very much an expression of my chronic illnesses. I have fibromyalgia and associated migraines, anxiety disorder, panic disorder and depression. I've experienced the pain and anxiety of my fibromyalgia my whole life so as a kid it affected what I could do without too much extra pain or fatigue. So, less sports and more reading, haha. I also still associate a lot of loud and colourful children's tv with migraines as they were painful to watch when I was little. As a grown up, fibromyalgia affects my ability to work, do household tasks and pretty much my ability to do anything unless I have free time after to recover for a day or two. Which I don't - who does though, right? It's difficult. I'm sure your readers will understand the frustrations that chronic illness and chronic pain bring.
Q2. Ah yes, thanks for noticing. One hundred percent. I'm not into nature in the sense of hiking or camping and I don't do bugs of any kind, haha. But I definitely have a strong connection to the earth and it's grounding energy. I'm very tuned in to energies and being part of the oneness that connects us all, so nature and the earth provide me with a reminder of the strength and the kind of freedom that comes with knowing we are part of something bigger. It puts mental and physical pain into perspective for me. It's part of how I learned to cope with the massive pain and anxiety I lived with before I was diagnosed in my late 20's.
Q3. I have always written in some form or another. Diaries, journals, stories, poems. An extension from all the reading I've always done I think. I always loved to read. Honestly, I do love writing too but I'd have to say that I do it primarily because I have to. When I write, it's because there's something there that needs to get out (often something painful), so I get my pen and paper and it comes pouring out. I just write and write without stopping to think about it and then I go back and read it because I usually can't remember most of it. Sometimes it's trash, sometimes it's workable and sometimes I leave it exactly as it is. It's very cathartic. I'm sure a lot of writers feel the same way - it's like therapy, but better.
Q4. I really do hope that it can help people in similar situations. If one person who experiences chronic pain or panic attacks reads it and feels seen, feels less alone, then it's been worthwhile. As for the advice I'd give someone....that's a tough one because we all experience these conditions differently. But I'd probably say that it's super important to advocate for yourself. Don't be afraid to ask questions or for second opinions. Also, I think it's important not to get negative with your self talk. Instead, remind yourself that you are still a worthwhile, valuable person that can still contribute to your family and to society in general.
Q5. Ooh, that's a hard question. It's difficult to choose just one because they are mostly like little snapshots of how it feels to be overwhelmed by the pain, the anxiety, panic attacks, depression. In the moment. They're the journey on a daily/nightly basis. There are a couple that are more of an illustration of the bigger picture though. They don't have names or numbers, but the ones that begin, 'A cloudy soul', 'You're not alone' and 'Adrenaline'. They come from those times when I struggle and kind of talk myself through it. Sometimes I'm reassuring myself and sometimes I'm talking directly to the pain or anxiety. I'd say those are the overview or zoomed out ones.
Q6. Absolutely. I'm lucky enough to have always had a lot of support. My son, Jared is 7yrs old and is my biggest motivator and the best medicine. He has always been aware of my fibromyalgia because it affects what I can do or how I can move, in various different ways each day. I just asked him what he knows about fibromyalgia and he said he knows that it hurts me, means I can't walk as far as he can and that I can't always do the things others can. He is wonderfully creative, so we work around it when we are playing. Living up close with it has made my son very thoughtful, caring and empathetic. I try my best not to worry him, so of course he only sees and knows what he has to. I'd say he has less awareness of my depression, anxiety/panic disorders because they're not as outwardly obvious. It's really important to me that he sees the resilience and the strength, and that he knows that being his Mum defines me more than any of that stuff. I could not be prouder of the little person that he is. I'm very lucky.
Q7. I'm not going to say it's easy because it isn't, but it's the biggest joy of my life. On the mornings I wake up and wish I could stay in bed, my son wakes up and immediately reminds me what I'm fighting for. Of course there are days where my fibromyalgia stops me from doing what I'd like to do, and even having the essential support on those days doesn't stop my illnesses from bringing a lot of guilt. But I'm pretty sure parental guilt isn't exclusive to those of us with chronic pain, haha.
Q8. Oh, thank you. I'm so glad you like that part because as you can see, it's where the title came from. As far as particularly therapeutic parts to write, I don't have favourite lines because it's the whole process that is therapeutic for me. Letting the jumbled mess of pain pour out onto the page gets it out of my head, or my heart, or wherever is hurting. Naturally there's a satisfaction from reading it back and finding that it isn't just incoherent trash, haha. But the therapy comes from the writing and not the result for me. There's a quote from one of my favourite books,
"Creating is the art of believing. The artist believes in the truth of what is occurring before she sees the result. It is an act of faith." - Jonathan Jackson, The Mystery Of Art.
For me, the act of faith is knowing that writing will be therapeutic regardless of the result because the result is real. It's my truth in that is expressed in the moment.
Q9. I'm hoping that there will be another, yes. I'm always writing, so it's about putting the pieces together and compiling something meaningful. I also have plans to write other things, so the next one could be a fictional story or a children's book - who knows?
Q10. That's a great question! Can it be a mythical creature? I'd probably choose a dragon. Kind of dark and chaotic like my emotions when I write, and the way the words just jumble out without any structure sometimes. And breathing fire is a metaphor for the words I breathe onto the page.
Thank you so much for talking to me and for checking out my book :)
--
Elaine 💚
You can find Elaine on
@elainrushwrites
@elainerush1 (Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok)
You Can
Purchase Elaine's Book Here
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