(inner work)ing

This debut collection of poetry, (inner work)ing, lays out poet Rowan Stuart Lay's struggles of learning and embracing the raw humanness of life through poems and songs. From the shadow of personal darkness and anxieties of growth and contemplation, through prayerful thought and mindful meditation, to the gentle sparks of hope and growing love, (inner work)ing journeys through the evolution of a soul ever seeking growth. This collection documents jagged and sharp edges of a broken spirit and the cultivation of hopes, dreams, and love that smooth a healing heart that has weathered the challenges of chronic mental health struggles, love, and strife within community and self. This book's soul-searching reaches through six years of writing to chart a course towards an ongoing development and cultivation of love and grace. At times a confessional, at times a prayer, at times a cry to feel human, this collection yearns to wield its authenticity and emotion to question what does it mean to be a growing person and what does it mean to reach for a more peaceful and loving future. It is the author's hope that these words invite you, reader, to sit with the inner work waiting for us in our daily lives and to smile with hope at the opportunity in front of you: the chance to make this world and your own heart a better, brighter place.