Critical Commentary
Praise for The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging 2026
“Darci Meyers writes from the raw center of loss with the eye of a poet and the heart of a healer. Moving through four seasons of grief following the death of her beloved husband, she offers us a tapestry of reflection that is shattering, beautiful, wise, and profoundly alive. In haiku, sonnet, and prose—spare as winter branches and radiant as desert light—she bears sacred witness to the journey of grief, inviting readers to do the same. This book is a companion for all who love deeply and therefore must one day grieve—which is to
say, all of us.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind
“At midlife we inevitably come face-to-face with loss. In The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging, Darci Meyers offers a tender, courageous, and deeply honest view into grief, inviting readers—through poetry and creative exploration—to transform their own experience of loss. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking meaning, connection, and a wiser relationship with grief.”
—Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife and founder of MEA (Modern Elder Academy)
“Grief isn’t optional. We will all know it at one time or another. How we navigate it depends, in part, on how we understand it. In her poems and prose, Darci Meyers describes her grief with deep insight, fearless integrity, and great compassion—for herself, for a home in the high desert that offers hope and healing, and for her readers. Grief is wild. It has its own gravity. We can’t escape it, but we can learn to live with it. For that, it helps to have an ally who knows
the territory. Read this book and you will find one.”
—Peter Anderson, author of First Church of the Higher Elevations
“In Darci Meyers’ The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging, grief is not a static state but a ‘rewilding’ — a feral, untamed movement mirroring the shifting seasons. Meyers crafts a poetic prayer recognizing the sacred interplay between nature and the ‘somatic legacy of loss’. Her poems move through ‘patterns of four’, aligning the stages of mourning with the natural world’s cycles. The poems are a relatable, raw, and emotional journey into the heart of loss, reminding readers what it means to truly belong to the sky and to each other.”
—Crisosto Apache, author of Ghostword and is(ness), 2026 Poet Laureate of Colorado
“In The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging, Darci Meyers brings us an astonishing
gift—the wisdom of a Buddhist chaplain, the intuitive intelligence of a somatic psychotherapist, the experience of fifteen years of working in hospice, the attunement of a poet, and the heart of a woman in love with a partner no longer physically here.Every page in this book is saturated with love, but there are many fierce dichotomies. You’ll find poems of both rage and acceptance, loneliness and belonging, dream and reality, hopelessness and hope.”
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of The Unfolding and All the Honey and poet laureate for Evermore
“Darci Meyers’ The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging is a tender and powerful guide for the human heart. With grace and honesty, she offers a blueprint for navigating grief—not as something to overcome, but as a sacred passage that gently leads us back home to ourselves. This beautiful book reminds us that even in our deepest loss, there is a quiet invitation to remember who we are, to soften, and to belong again—fully, deeply, and without apology.”
—Cynthia James, bestselling/award-winning author of I Choose Me and Does My Voice Matter?
“In this profound and beautiful book, Darci Meyers shares the interior of her soul with us and
allows her experiences with death and grief to become a powerful reflective mirror into a deeper understanding of our own experiences of loss. Within these pages, we experience the tenderness, the fury, the aching, the transformation, and the divine alchemy that all occur within the grief journey. This book is a balm for the soul.”
—Stephanie James, psychotherapist, transformation coach, and author of Your Big Fat Juicy Life (and Everything After)
“The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging is more than a book—it is medicine for those in pain. These poems and reflections slice through the clichés that so often surround grief and speak directly to the raw, holy, bewildering terrain of loss. With astonishing honesty and tenderness, these poems give voice to what many grievers feel but cannot articulate. If you know anyone in sorrow, give them this gift of companionship and help them find their way.”
—Tama Kieves, bestselling author of Learning to Trust Yourself and Thriving Through Uncertainty
“This is a beautiful, poignant, and unexpectedly peaceful book. From the delicate imagery of Secret Discipline of Mourning to the raw rage of Indignation, this is a powerful collection of poetry. Whether or not you are grieving a loss, this book invites you to contemplate death, loss, and the meaning of life.”
—Kim Roberts, author of Toward a Secret Sky: Creating Your Own Modern Pilgrimage
“Some books about grief try to comfort you out of your pain. This one sits beside you in it. With
extraordinary tenderness and clarity, Meyers explores the bewildering terrain that follows
profound loss—the sleeplessness, the longing, the feral wailing, the strange persistence of beauty. Again and again, she reminds us that grief is not evidence of brokenness, but evidence of love. The Marvelous Contentment of Belonging is wise, unflinching, and profoundly beautiful.”
—Kristen Moeller, MS, MFA, Literary agent, TEDx speaker, and author of What Are You Waiting For?
