Songs For My Heroes: Poems for the pathway home

by Jain Pollock Fairfax, Alejandro R. Torres (Editor)

Overview

A collection of true-to-life poems about war, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and its affects on military personnel and their families.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798891216297
Publisher:	Heroic Resilience
Publication date:	09/02/2023
Edition description:	Hardcover Third Edition
Pages:	98
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Jain Pollock Fairfax, Psy.D., is a psychotherapist in private practice in Sonoma County, California. A doctor of clinical psychology, she is a licensed marriage, family therapist who works with individuals, families, and children. Among her clients are veterans of many wars, going back to the Vietnam War (1955 to 1975).

She comes from a long line of military ancestors. Her grandfather, Lt. Colonel, John Carlyle Fairfax, fought in the Spanish American War and World War I. He told war stories about “A man he knew”, who, oddly, bore the same battle scars he did.

Dr. Fairfax’s uncle, Lieutenant Commander Charles Steeple, was an officer in the US Navy and saw action at Okinawa, the bloodiest battle in the Pacific during World War II. The US forces sustained 45,000 casualties and 12,000 dead. When he came home safe, he rarely discussed his experiences aboard the LST 1012 on which he was the Navigation and Executive officer.

Going back many generations, the stories of her family’s experiences in the military deeply affected Dr. Fairfax. She feels it is an important element in her sense of her identity and it is reflected in her poetry.

To soothe the soul that can take a beating listening to violent or abusive tales, Dr. Fairfax does art projects; miniature oil paintings, large acrylics, and multimedia works.

Her hope is that these poems let those who hold their war stories too close to the chest feel freer to talk about their experiences and in doing so, find resolution and healing. In addition to her healing work with veterans Jain has written a captivating book of poems inspired by her experiences in assisting veterans see past the shadows of war. Her poetry highlights the stories of her work to bring listeners to a profound understanding of
the human spirit and the depths of empathy.