Once upon a Rhyme
One Week --- Three Lives --- Three Deaths --- A Lifetime in Limericks
by
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That’s the game depression plays. It can start physically, from a hormonal or chemical imbalance, or emotionally as with Oskie, from repeated trauma or loss. But while those larger events initially ground you, it is the thought traps that provide the quicksand to keep you down. Hollis had once broken down depression for Oskie in its simplest terms. The thoughts dupe your mind, press down on your soul, and convince your spirit to shun the world or to think the world shuns you. Dupe-press-shun. Cute. But unhelpful and, to a deep, dark mind like Oskie’s, wholly unnecessary, for that is the point. The facts don’t matter. They are as indisputable as the fun. Oskie lucidly dissected depression at its depths, but he still could not cut the cord constricting his thoughts. The thoughts circle back to the hurt, an ever tightening circle of hate of past pain and anger that it will just happen again, and in that web of immense pain, the depressed release everything, reason, facts, emotion, connection. Loneliness becomes their favorite place to be.
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About the Book
This book is not about poetry, even though the title and limericks sprinkled within might lead you to that notion. This book is not about sports, though many of the characters connect as coaches or teammates. This book is not even about a father and son, even though it deals with a man and his recently deceased father. This is a familiar tale of family, friendship, community, loss, and the renewal of faith. Even though the book takes place over the course of only one week, its message delves deeply into life and living. We all question the usefulness of our past, the course of our present, and—on our more challenging days—the point of our future. We wonder about the significance of our efforts. In other words, this book poses the question we often ignore through activity, defy with arrogance, or accept as unanswerable: “What’s the point?” In the vein of film classic It’s a Wonderful Life, author Antony Saragas reminds you that life is worth living and that sometimes your friends and family are your angels.
About the Author
Antony L. Saragas is a father, coach, attorney, judge, and writer. He has worked as a sports journalist and radio broadcaster and founded the Harlan County Boys & Girls Club in his hometown of Harlan, Kentucky. He now lives in Savannah, Georgia, where in addition to his career and writing, he enjoys any time with his kids, any nearby weight room, and any sunrise at the beach. His newest venture is The Average Man’s Adventures podcast. He is the author of Tales of a Small-Town King, which was published in 2018.