Lamenting Sam

by Kelly Jo Terry

Lamenting Sam is a raw, luminous collection of poetry born from a mother's deepest heartbreak-the sudden loss of her 25-year-old son. Artist, writer, and seeker Kelly Jo Terry transforms unimaginable grief into a series of intimate, courageous reflections that map the terrain of mourning, memory, and the slow return of light. Before tragedy altered the landscape of her life, Kelly Jo spent years nurturing children as an early childhood educator and later painting portraits and landscapes for a devoted roster of clients. But in February 2020, when her beloved son died, the colors vanished. The paintbrush fell silent. Searching for a way to stay afloat in a world suddenly stripped of meaning, she picked up a pen and began to journal. Those journals-now filled with poems and prose-became her lifeline. Through language, Kelly Jo charts the painful, sacred work of learning to live with grief, honoring her son, and rediscovering a creative spark that grief nearly extinguished. Her writing led to co-authoring and illustrating the children's book Fly Anyway, and ultimately to this deeply personal collection. Lamenting Sam offers solace to anyone navigating loss, reminding readers that while grief reshapes us, it can also reveal our capacity for connection, expression, and healing. With honesty and quiet strength, Kelly Jo Terry opens her heart so others may find comfort, companionship, and hope in their own darkest hours.