At 3.00 a.m. on 18th July, 2014, Mal Garrett and his wife Liz were awakened in Paris by a phone call with the sort of news no one ever wishes to receive: Liz's sister Jill and Jill's husband Roger, from whom they had parted only two days before after a delightful river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, had been on their way home to Australia on flight MH17, when it was blasted out of the skies over Ukraine. In the days, months, and years ahead, Mal found solace in expressing his pain in poetry. As a former English teacher and author of English textbooks, this was a natural medium for him. Having found his poetic voice, Mal has continued to write poems, both in response to loss but also to capture joy and to reflect on current issues. A particular joy has been that of being a grandparent. Mal is dedicating any income made from the sales of this anthology to assisting the people of Ukraine.