Takira Q Charles

Magnificent to Hold Takira Q Charles

Where does one begin to put themselves back together again after losing a baby? Broken into tiny pieces, scattered parts of you hidden and never again able to find the core of your identity. Pregnancy, infant loss, and miscarriage are often stigmatized and taboo topics in many cultures, families, and even religious circles. Most people do not know how to respond to grieving mothers or how to be supportive. The lack of dialogue can result in an isolating experience for grieving parents; left alone to ward off feelings of shame and guilt, they suffer in silence. In this collection of poems, the author exposes her brokenness after losing her baby girl due to cervical incompetence at 22 weeks of pregnancy. By sharing her spiritual and emotional journey of pregnancy loss as a Christian, she hopes to provoke conversations about pregnancy loss and help others understand some of the emotions grieving mothers, in particular, may experience. The poems do not shy away from "ugly" emotions, as the author exposes her anger, resentment, confusion, and hopelessness in the unfair unpredictability of life. Yet, her message rings clear throughout the book, that in our darkest nights, in sorrow or depression, we can still trust God with our hearts.