The cracks in everyday life

The cracks in everyday life

This collection of poetry follows the journey of an employee returning from a wonderful summer who is confronted with ageism and cruel comments at work.

Belittled, ridiculed, accused of being technologically obsolete, he endures days of harassment that lead to a union complaint and ten grueling weeks of futile conciliation.

Exhausted, he sinks into a severe depression filled with discomfort, nausea and migraines. Abysmal fatigue traps him in a year lived in silence.

The poetry plunges into the darkness of despair, wandering between consultations, prescriptions, occupational therapy and support groups, where words weave precarious bridges.

Four long months of psychiatric hospitalization and a behavioral reactivation program mark a turning point. Clinical images, white corridors and care rituals mingle with the verses.

Recovery is slow but tangible. He experiences two years of small victories, relapses and patience, until he returns to work part-time with persistent anxiety and irrevocable limitations.

The poetry captures this fragility, the loss of identity, the daily struggle, the shame, the abandonment, the perseverance and the resilience needed to stabilize a precarious balance.

Ultimately, the poems pay tribute to regained dignity and nascent hope. He must learn to live differently, to persevere despite everything and to hope for an early retirement. But above all, he must cherish each new morning as if it were his last.

About the author :

Novelist, poet, short story writer and author of children’s books, Réjean Roy has written more than forty titles and is the founding president of L’arc-en-ciel littéraire.

A native of Allardville, New Brunswick, his works often have psychological or sociological implications.

In 2016, The International Network Of Women Philosophers — UNESCO ASOLAPO ITALIA — awarded him a distinction for academic, artistic, social, cultural and humanitarian achievements.