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Reading Roseanne Freed’s debut collection of poems, written in memory of her daughter Mahalia, who passed away at a young age, allows us to share a mother’s heartbreak. In her poem “My Wet Eyes Stared Into Their Lights,” during a Shabbat dinner, a woman sitting opposite her asks, “Where are your children?” Roseanne’s response—“I could tell her my son lives in Canada, but I don’t know where my daughter is; she didn’t leave a forwarding address”—is not an understatement of her grief but a poignant and powerful expression of the permanent sorrow she holds within her. In the ‘About’ section at the end of the book, the poet explains that “according to Jewish tradition, everyone dies twice: the first time when they stop breathing and the second when the dead person’s name is spoken or thought of for the last time.” Roseanne elaborates on the strong reason behind her desire to write these poems: “I hope this little book will prevent Mahalia from dying a second time.” Nothing is more difficult for a parent to bear than the loss of a child. It takes great courage to write poems after such a tragedy, and Roseanne has laid her grief bare, making herself vulnerable and inviting us to journey deep into her soul. The book is available on Amazon.ca as well. Your Name is a Poem