​Epitome of Grace
 
They are a certain way
certain ladies are today
no matter where they are
 
summer, fall
winter, spring even 
waiting for a bus in rain
 
to clean hotel rooms
an hour away
epitome of grace
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​Everybody’s Friend
 
He tried so hard to be
everybody’s friend, agreed
with everything we said.
 
Some of us liked him,
others were indifferent,
some of us mocked him.
 
He was from a small town,
a freshman at a big school.
He echoed what we said
 
before we finished saying it.
There was nothing we could do
to find out what he never said.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​Holocaust Redux
 
They’ll be coming for us,
the old lady told the young man
next to her, the two of them
sitting on stones under the bridge
surrounded by trolls 
sworn to protect them.
 
Victors come for those
who fight and oppose them,
the old lady told the young man,
now almost in tears,
his hands ripping his hair.
 
They came for my parents in Poland,
the old lady told the young man,
but my parents got on a ship,
came here without any papers
and they were allowed to stay.
 
They had a good life with children,
the old lady told the young man,
and I am the last of the four.
That’s why I’m here with you now
and telling you it’s time to go.
There’s no other way.
 
We don’t have much time,
the old lady told the young man,
so grab the satchels and run.
The trolls mean well
but the victors are coming
and the trolls can't stop them.
We must find a ship 
and go somewhere else.
We must find a way.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​Jesse Had a Lisp, You See
 
Jesse was a common man
he never made a lot of money
he had a troubled marriage.
 
His wife left him for another man
he never saw his kids again.
 
Although he never wrote a book
he read hundreds of them
trying to solve riddles in his life.
 
But Jesse had a lisp, you see,
and others liked to laugh.
 
After he died last week
the undertaker poured his ashes
over the edge of an ocean cliff.
 
He liked to watch eagles dive
and carry away big fish.
 
Jesse was a common man 
as are we whose whole is
greater than our parts.
 
But Jesse had a lisp, you see,
and others liked to laugh.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​Let Tambourines Begin
 
Puerto Rican girl
thin, thin,
let street lights pour
 
bourbon on your hair,
anise on your skin.
Puerto Rican girl,
 
thin, thin,
gin one white smile for me.
Let tambourines begin
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​The Wild West of Dubville
 
Dubville used to be
a quiet town, not that much
was going on. The young would
 
move to the city after high school.
The elderly would stay because
they had no place else to go.
 
But crime is rampant now
in Dubville. The elderly are
robbed and beaten. Screams 
 
break the silence of the night
as addicts steal anything to buy
another hit of heroin.
 
The only cop in town says
everybody pays a price to live
in the Wild West of Dubville.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​They Were Refugees, Too
 
They were refugees, too,
back in the Forties,
settled in Chicago,
learned English,
some a lot, some a little,
found jobs of some kind,
made do like their neighbors
until things got better.
 
And by the Seventies,
on hot summer nights
they were loud and happy
gathering on Morse Avenue
around parking meters
in the dying sunlight
outside one of the delis
lining the street
to argue about the Cubs 
or politics or anything
they could disagree upon.
If someone made a point
someone else made
a counterpoint.
 
Arguments squared off
with cab driver against lawyer,
handyman against accountant,
all of them equal as a people.
They were survivors of the holocaust,
some with forearm tattoos
shouting under short sleeve shirts,
others with tattoos silent under
long sleeves worn to the office
that day with a tie.
 
Chicago had welcomed them
thirty years earlier and now
they were giving back, working
and sending their children
to college after making a life
and a neighborhood their own.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

More Than the Madness by John Kaniecki, published by Dreaming Big Publications, Reviewed by Ally 
 
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book gives readers a glimpse into the life of someone living with bipolar disorder. It’s not a clinical book filled with facts and figures, but a book of humanity.

Spanning childhood to early adult, through stories of abuse, being bullied, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, inpatient stays on psych wards, a night in jail, his college days in the fraternity, hitchhiking across America, and his time in a third world country, John gives the reader a personal and up-close look into his life as a manic depressive. The stories are sad, shocking, and at times funny as he shares his antics while at his most manic and delusional.

Throughout his journey, John also struggles with his faith in God. More than the Madness is a testament of one man’s journey to grow closer to God while gaining a better understanding of himself.

John wrote his story to help educate others on mental illness and remove some of the stigma associated with it. It is his hope that readers will get to know the person behind the diagnosis; take away the labels and meet someone's son, friend, and husband. See that there is More Than the Madness.
 
MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
 
In his introduction, Kaniecki informs the reader that this is not a book filled with scientific data or specific explanations. He explains that it’s focused on the human side of bipolar disorder, that it’s about getting inside his head so we can all understand his experiences better. And he follows through on that promise.

            Starting out in the very hospital where he was diagnosed and advancing through a variety of different settings and stories, Kaniecki bares his soul on the page. He takes the audience inside of that hospital with him; he shows us around his childhood haunts. Expertly, he speaks of seemingly unrelated moments, and then weaves them into the overarching story of his battle with mental illness.

            It’s an incredibly interesting read, simultaneously portraying one man’s life story and his battle with bipolar disorder. It’s also an important one; in few other places can you find a book so informative and honest about mental illness. Throughout the novel, Kaniecki stresses acceptance and implies that ignorance is its greatest enemy. The best way to combat ignorance is through knowledge and understanding, which resonates in his novel.

            More Than the Madness is a read that I would highly recommend to anyone. It’s an important book that bravely and critically combats the stigma associated with mental illness with a hardy helping of heart.
 
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I am not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Kaniecki is an author and poet. His works has been published in over eighty outlets. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. He attended Steven's Institute of Technology for two years before dropping out. At that time John became a Christian and a member of the Church of Christ. Also John began to seriously suffer from bipolar disorder. This mental illness would adversely affect John. As such the topic is dealt with in his writing. In particular in his book of memoirs "More Than The Madness". Also the experience is poetically explored in the book "Murmurings Of A Mad Man". John's shining achievement is his poetry book "Poet To The Poor,Poems Of Hope For The Bottom One Percent." This book deals with historical figures and events along with people from John's own life. True to John's poetic philosophy the book is written with poems that deliver a clear message. Rhyming and rhythm are prominent. John's book "Sunset Shadows" is a book of classically written sonnets dealing with dying and death in a spiritual and wholesome way. "A Day's Weather" completes John's present poetry collection which is a depiction of his days as a neophyte poet. This early work is a wholesome and quaint collection.

John has a science fiction anthology called Words of the Future. This book is interesting, unique and exciting. John presently has two horror books out, "Scarecrow, Scarecrow" and "Satan's Siren". These two books are part of a series following the main character Anne McFry.
​
John presently lives in Montclair with his wife Sylvia. John is a volunteer minister at the Church of Christ at Chancellor Avenue which is located in the south ward of Newark New Jersey. John is also a full time caregiver for his wife. Expect more exciting stuff from John soon.

​A Family Thing
 
Someone broke in the house
the weekend the elderly couple was
out of town, a family thing.
 
The TV, the couch and
computer were gone.
Someone took everything.
Even the silverware,
tables and chairs.
 
The couple had everything  
insured except for the new
photos of their daughter.
They were in the computer
emailed by their son last week.
 
Kate was all smiles in the photos
and the couple wanted to have them
printed and framed and hung
on the living room wall
above the fireplace.
 
The weekend of the robbery
the elderly couple was out of town
at her funeral, a family thing.
 
 
Donal Mahoney

​Aging in a New Place
 
I can’t speak for other men but as I grow older I have found listening to my wife makes life easier.
 
So when she said we should move to a retirement community while we’re still in reasonably good health, I balked at first but then wised up and said okay.
 
Let me tell you, my wife was right. Nice apartment, three good meals a day, cable and internet access and other necessities and amenities included in one monthly price. Not cheap but it shouldn’t be, considering the quality and service rendered.
 
At the start we've moved into "independent living," as they call it.
 
We'll move into "assisted living" when we have trouble counting our pills and, when circumstances dictate, we’ll move into skilled nursing where the seriously ill find care.
 
No one wants to leave terra firma but we all know, deep down, the choice and the timing are not ours. We’re fortunate to have found a place that has everything we might need while spending our last days—and may they be numerous!--on Earth.
 
At first I thought life in a retirement community would be boring. Not so, at least not for my wife and me.
 
The first thing I noticed were signs of what the future may hold for us if we live long enough. Countless folks on canes, walkers and battery-operated scooters amiably making their way about. As someone still able to walk, I'm in the minority.
 
In the long hallways, little old ladies, and an occasional man, motor about on scooters. They have to be watched carefully. Otherwise, one might end up in skilled nursing sooner than expected.
 
The second thing I noticed was the joy evident in the residents, whatever their physical condition. Most of them seem happier than those I saw daily in civilian life. I did not think that would be the case.
 
My wife and I recently had dinner with a man 91 who has lived in the community for 17 years. He’s a retired engineer with all his marbles. Full of life and stories. And interested in hearing ours.
 
Folks with limited mobility, no matter what device they may be using to get around, stop and introduce themselves. They warmly welcome two relatively able-bodied people as if we are already one of them.
 
It’s a faith-based place but no one pushes religion down your throat and people of various faiths and perhaps none live here.
 
If religion is important to a resident, there’s a daily Mass and a Protestant service during the week. One can attend any of them or none. No roll call is taken and no collection.
 
It’s interesting, though, to sit in the chapel and watch folks on scooters pull in and park wherever they like.
 
My wife and I are aging in a new place and learning something new every day.
 
 
 
Donal Mahoney