The death of a child is the greatest loss of all. Losing one's child is a non-negotiable experience that can cast one adrift in uncharted waters in a boat without anchor or rudder. Initially, one's mind is kept busy attending to necessary arrangements-but within a few days, the reality of loss sets in-and does not leave. The order of the day suddenly becomes disorder, and seeing it through is the ordeal at hand for emotional survival. Adrift: Poems After the Death of a Child was my attempt to sort things out in poetry after the death of our son John. It is story of loss, heartrending sadness, and somber remembrance of our son, and yet, it is a story in poems that, in the telling, helps me to get through the trial. I hope that my story helps all who suffer the greatest loss of all.