Her Inconvenient Elegy — A Life in Fragments: A poetic meditation on the messiness of memory, the weight of grace, and the quiet rituals of survival, through deeply reflective pieces—a collection of poems charting the contours of real life: its pain, its absurdity, its tenderness, and its fleeting moments of redemption. Each poem is a vessel, shaped by grief and humor, filled with the residue of what’s been lost and the fragile hope of what remains. Whether sifting through the detritus of a loved one’s belongings or kneeling on the bathroom floor, these works invite the reader to witness sorrow not as spectacle, but as a shared inheritance. This is an elegy without ornament—unapologetically inconvenient, achingly human, and quietly transformative. In Google's Dictionary, I found this definition for the word elegy - "noun - a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead." - This is exactly what Her Inconvenient Elegy: A Life in Fragments by Rita Hanner-Ward is. The author reminisces through her poetry collection about important moments of her life. Moments that sparked change within or moments where change had been achieved. From exploring an older woman's feelings and concerns about her marriage to a younger husband, to recovering from bulimia, to the death and grief of her husband; Rita Hanner-Ward's choice of topics is uncomfortable to visit for most of us. Yet, we will visit topics like these in our lives. This collection is thought-provoking and yes, sometimes difficult to read, but in my opinion, necessary as life is not a fairytale and most meaningful moments in it are made of hard stuff. The book is short, but its substance is immeasurable. Rita's voice in each poem is brutally honest, personal, and filled with emotion. But she doesn't only share her experience reflected within a poem; she re-lives the moment, explaining to the reader how, why, and when that poem was born. Within this great little book, readers will time-travel through the author's life. During this process, I was able not only to relate to some of her experiences, but I also felt that I acquired wisdom from the ones I did not experience myself. I loved her poetry and found her voice touching, captivating, and even clever sometimes. Below is an example of one of my favorites: Another Day? Save your tears! Save your sorrows. Tell a joke. Then save me off to fly. Today, if it stays My sky is blue Any casual Zen would agree. The bird-song bright. The sun is warm. Let it kiss your heart. May it bring you joy. Time's up. I'm on my way. Mourn me Another day? In the author's introduction to this piece, she shares that it is her preference to have a humorous kick-off rather than a sad one. I agree with her and can appreciate her poem. Like this one, I really appreciate all the others, but I included this one in my review as it is a shorter one and an example of her art. Overall, I loved Her Inconvenient Elegy: A Life in Fragments by Rita Hanner-Ward and recommend it to all poetry lovers and deep thought enthusiasts...anyone who experiences life will benefit from reading it for sure. I just wish there were more! Can wait for her next collection. There are things we inherit that never make it into the will: a chipped teacup, a half-told story, the silence after someone leaves. These poems began as fragments—found in boxes, whispered in memory, pressed into clay. I didn't set out to write an elegy. I set out to remember, to reckon, to laugh a little at the mess of it all. This collection is not a tidy mourning. It is inconvenient, like grief itself. It interrupts, it lingers, it shows up in the middle of dinner or while folding laundry. But within its interruptions, I've found grace. Humor. The weight of love. And the strange beauty of survival. Each poem is a shard, and together, they form a kind of shrine—not to what was perfect, but to what was real. If you've ever held a broken thing and called it sacred, this collection of poems is for you. R.H.W. Her Inconvenient Elegy: A Life in Fragments is a poetic meditation on the messiness of memory, the weight of grace, and the quiet rituals of survival, through deeply reflective pieces—a collection of poems charting the contours of real life: its pain, its absurdity, its tenderness, and its fleeting moments of redemption. Each poem is a vessel, shaped by grief and humor, filled with the residue of what's been lost and the fragile hope of what remains. Whether sifting through the detritus of a loved one's belongings or kneeling on the bathroom floor, these works invite the reader to witness sorrow not as spectacle, but as a shared inheritance. This is an elegy without ornament—unapologetically inconvenient, achingly human, and quietly transformative. Rita Hanner-Ward is a contemporary American writer and poet whose insights are reflected in her short essays and poems that explore memory, grief, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Colorado-raised, now residing in Arizona