Peace in Pieces

Book excerpt: Each square represents snapshots of life capturing time within each border. Peace in Pieces is a collection of forty-one poems that grapple with the complexity of living. Writing has been Peggy Belles's uncensored outlet throughout her life. Documented here in captivating verse are the immense challenges and indelible experiences of one woman's journey from a childhood marred by abuse, family addiction, and death into adulthood and the pursuit of a purposeful life for herself by helping others. Much like squares of a quilt, each poem in Peace in Pieces serves as a story of its own-a distinct sliver of Belles's life-but together they illustrate the humbling lessons that come with experience. Loss, shame, abuse, and regret are influences of Belles's words, but ultimately the power of vulnerability and the cyclical nature of blame and forgiveness are the prizes waiting in reflection. The poems run the gamut of some of life's most tragic themes. But through shimmering stanzas comes a sense of triumph amid challenge and the uplifting notion that inner peace is only waiting to be discovered. Ultimately, Belles's autobiography as told through her poetry is much more than it seems. Peace in Pieces captures a powerful sense of self-a deep consciousness and awareness that reveals that true inner strength is more than the mere ability to march on through adversity.