Dark love Balm for the shattered soul
‘…So what feels like shadow
Is not a bad thing
It’s an invitation to go
And let our soul sing’
Dark love takes you on a personal journey, that will fill your heart with love.
‘If words could mend broken hearts, breathe every sentence of this poetry.'
Christine Pannebakker, bestsellingwriter and mentor
* personally signed by the author
'Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance'
I find this line by Carl Sandberg an intruiging way of saying poetry invites feelings, that make you want to hide under a blanket, to come out.
Many shadows were asked to dance in the thirty years that fill Dark love. Starting with the early loss of my mom, then my health, my job, my marriage, my dad.
Each time I just had to take pen to paper to keep me from vanishing into oblivion. As I wrote, starting off in utter darkness, words turned into liquid gold filling up the cracks in my heart.
It was the best gift.
Tears of dispair became tears of profound gratitude and selflove.
Poetry helped me dance with my shadows.
May it help you dance with yours.
Especially on days you wanna hide under that blanket.
With love, Diane
* personally signed by the author
'Sometimes you read something and it's so good you think: This is exactly the right order of words. A reflection of feelings. Did I read this before? It just makes sense.’
Monika Bankert, accountant and writer of 'Voor onze dochters'
Dark love
Balm for the shattered soul
Deluxe hardcover €22,50
ParisBooks, May 2023
Beautiful heartfelt poetry that touches your soul, warms your heart and lifts your spirit.
Diane van den Heuvel writes up close and personal. About the loss of her parents, her marriage, herself. And the journey to self-love.
Words to warm you when life gets cold.
While it’s raining down the cracks and she’s 'left with the pieces of a broken me', she asks herself: “Am I broken beyond repair?”
Of course there is 'no comfort in losing' and certainly 'faith has been tested', but it’s time to ‘quench your own thirst.’
Unwrapping the present, she lets her heart’s desire speak loudly. Then 'walls crumble' and 'silence breaks'.
Order at the bookstore or get a signed copy here..
'I received Dark love at a dinnerparty and started peeking right away. When I got to the third page, I had to stop. Tears of recognition were filling my eyes.’
Dorien de Vos, retired English teacher
'I'm fine'
Whether it's a loved one, a friend, your relationship, your health or just a game you really meant to win, losing hurts. Often we try to hide it behind a smile: ‘I'm fine.’
We all lose. It's the only certainty we have. Keeping quiet about it, acting like it's not there, adds more to the loss. We lose ourselves.
Diane van den Heuvel knows what she is talking about. Thirty years ago she lost her mom. In the last one and a half decade she lost her health, her job, her marriage and her dad.
For decades she was quiet, put on a brave face and lost herself in the cracks. In writing she found what therapists couldn't give her: herself... and beautiful heartfelt poetry.
Diane van den Heuvel is a writer, an expert in sensitive, close-up storytelling, wordwizard, culture and religion psychologist, daughter and mother.
Every poem tells a story
ILFU 1000 Poets 2023
Why...
Presented during the Dutch Night of Poetry
Connect to the essence of what it means to be human Embrace dark love
* personally signed by the author
'Dark love' is part of a twinset of poetry. 'Als alles leeft' is the Dutch twinsister of 'Dark love'. Different poems, same journey. Order them together for the full experience.
* and get free shipment (in the Netherlands)