Love Grace & Sorrow in No Particular Order

by Kevin Semeniuk

Overview

A book of poetry filled with stories of love, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit.

"Above everything else, I believe hope is our greatest bond and our most common companion. The purpose of my writing is to explore and expose that connection which we share as human beings. I put this collection of poetry together, choosing each piece in reflection to the moment it was created, as an offering of how I 'feel' the world, near or far. My writing has always been a mirror to what I feel may not be getting said, or more importantly, may not be heard. My poetry creates a voice for the unspoken words of those who may not always have a say." - Author note.

"Having storytelling brought to life in the way that Kevin creates images is important for our culture as a whole. His writing touches on a deeper level of hope & some of the pain that we have become accustomed to hiding or being ashamed of in our own life stories. His words are perfect & shine a light on all walks of life & that shows throughout his books. I think everyone could benefit from reading Kevin's words."
- Chief Vern Janvier of the Dene Nation of Chipewyan Prairie

"Kevin Semeniuk is an incredible storyteller and philosopher. His poems address morality and integrity with a message of inspiration and hope."
- Trumaine De-Antonio

"If feelings could be extracted in their purest form, it would be through your poems. Your writing is amazing and emotional. I feel like I’m taking a journey through my soul every time I read your poetry."
- Wendy Hernandez

Product Details

BN ID:	2940153900650
Publisher:	Kevin Semeniuk
Publication date:	12/04/2016
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	187 KB

About the Author

Kevin Semeniuk is a Canadian storyteller, and the founder of ‘Fifteen for Hope Publishing and Apparel’.
Born in a small Alberta town, Kevin comes from a large family of eight siblings, all raised by a single mother who emotionally and financially took care of their big family all on her own.
No stranger to the curveballs that life throws, before even the age of seven his parents had separated, moving him and his siblings to Edmonton with his mother, from where she would drive the family across provinces to visit his eldest brother in prison for what would go on to become years. The family had also started to take in foster children soon after moving to the city, which opened the home to a near revolving door for much of what would be at-risk youth, however, it would also lead to the forming of some of the most important and impactful relationships of his life. This sudden changing way of life inside and out of the home forced Kevin and his young siblings to quickly adapt to whatever circumstance their environment might provide.
As Kevin was growing older in a somewhat chaotic setting, he began to spend his time away from home, skipping school and often in search of trouble. During his teenage years, out of shear fear for him continuing down the wrong path, his mother sent him to live with his father, an alcoholic, where he would then have to adapt to living with a cold and hardened man who could go on for weeks without so much as speaking a word to Kevin. Surely somewhere within, his father loved him, however, it was never uttered nor displayed in all the years they lived with one another, leading up to his death, where his body was discovered by Kevin.
Kevin, thereafter, spent years distancing himself from his friends and family, often to work in isolation, alone with his thoughts and heartache, learning how to cope with a near broken heart.
It was through these traumatic experiences that he was able to find the possibility to pursue change by way of the heart, while coupled with a love he already had for storytelling through poetry - (a love that was sparked at a young age by movies like ‘Stand by Me’ and artists like Sam Cooke) - Kevin furthered his unfolding and turned pain into passion, beginning with what would be his first full length novel, ‘Sweeping with God’.
Kevin has since published several collections of poetry and novels through his company, ‘Fifteen for Hope’. His stories are all written under the boundless umbrella of love, each harnessing the ability to gently touch the heart and speak to the soul of his audience, regardless of life story, gender or race. Throughout Kevin’s writing, his words have formed beautiful, heartfelt stories of forgiveness, second chances, the resilience of the human spirit, and beautiful conversations lined with hope. Kevin also shares his gift through poetry, mirroring the darker sides of life, touching on important topics such as human-trafficking, starvation, inequality, war, disease, and the over one-thousand Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women here in Canada; the country Kevin calls home.
Though his journey through life has led him down paths that at times he would’ve done anything to change, Kevin has still somehow managed to find a mark of balance and to stay as close to life as possible, which is showcased throughout his literature, writing for the dreamer, and the survivor, filled with hope, in us all.