Since 2016, when I started writing poetry about my journey with Dementia, I have come to realise that poetry is not only extremely cathartic, but truly like ‘chicken soup for the soul’. Poetry allows us to connect with the world around us and express ourselves in a unique way that can be both soothing and healing.

My journey with Dementia from start to finish, was full of such mixed emotions, tears and laughter, and I soon realised the importance of a sense of humour! Whilst written from a personal perspective, I hope that anyone who has been affected by dementia, whether as a loved one, friend or carer will be able to identify in some way with each poem.

The path for all concerned when a loved one is diagnosed with this devastating disease, is extremely difficult and challenging. In many cases, as I experienced firsthand, losing your loved one, even though the person is still here, can be the hardest part – but please know if you are reading this that you are not alone!

Born in Kensington, London, Lorraine now lives in Spain with her husband, Gus. As well as a love of the outdoors and keeping fit, she is passionate about music and teaches piano and singing. However, it was her love for poetry that really helped her cope following her mum’s dementia diagnosis in 2015. Since then, and after her mum’s sad passing in 2024, Lorraine has found writing poetry, inspired by her journey with dementia, has been incredibly cathartic and rewarding. This journey has now culminated in her putting together a collection of poems in her first book, Distant Shores – Remembering.

Customer Reviews

5.0

4 reviews

Aysen

Lorraine Bruce’s Distant Shores – Remembering is a deeply moving and beautifully written debut collection that tenderly captures the complexities of love, loss, and memory. Born from her own personal journey through her mother’s dementia diagnosis and eventual passing, Bruce weaves together poetry that is both raw and cathartic, but also uplifting and full of humanity. What stands out most is the authenticity of her voice. Each poem feels like a heartfelt conversation, inviting the reader into moments of grief, remembrance, and even humour. Pieces such as “Dementia Sucks” and “I Lost My Mum Twice” articulate the heartbreak of dementia with striking honesty, while others, like “The Cockerel that Crowed” and “Cheese and Pickle Sandwiches”, bring warmth, nostalgia, and gentle smiles. The balance between sorrow and joy makes the collection not only relatable but also healing. holidays all become touchstones for memory, grounding the emotional journey in vivid, familiar details. These poems remind us that even in the face of profound loss, love endures. in the smallest of memories and everyday moments. More than a tribute to her late mother, this book is also a gift to others navigating similar experiences. It offers comfort, solidarity, and hope, reminding readers that they are not alone in their grief. Distant Shores—Remembering is a heartfelt debut that transforms personal pain into shared resilience. It is a book to be read slowly, savoured, and returned to often—an inspiring reminder of the power of poetry to heal, connect, and preserve love beyond loss.
Chris

This book is an honest, heartfelt and relatable journey by the author, Lorraine, about losing her mother to dementia first, and ultimately to death, and then dealing with the immediate aftermath and introspection. Losing a parent is something that everybody has to come to terms with sooner or later. In the case of dementia though it is more complex as the parent starts to lose themselves and the child has to evolve into becoming the caregiver to their parent, who may become only a shadow of who they were originally. Lorraine expresses some of this beautifully in “I lost my mum twice” and “A difficult journey”. While the grief of loss is very evident in some of the poems, there is nothing maudlin about this collection. Lorraine uses humour to capture some of the challenges of caring for her mother, such as “Carry on watching”, which describes her mother watching the same selections of her favourite TV series over and over again, or in “A cup of tea and a fag please“ where she writes about “finding sandwiches, wrapped in tissue paper, down the chair arm Initially seems gross, but after a time, can acquire, a certain charm!”. Other poems are gorgeously nostalgic when she writes about her mother and other cherished childhood memories. My personal favourite is “Mum’s pearls”. I think every mum of a certain era had a set of pearls that we admired as children. As somebody whose mother is also suffering from advanced dementia, this book struck a lot of chords with me. I think it will do with many other people as well, particularly if they are facing their own battle with dementia, either as sufferers themselves or as family members or caregivers.
Kate Writes

Lorraine Bruce’s collection of poetry Distant Shores offers solace and understanding to anyone touched by dementia - whether caring for a loved one or grieving someone lost to the illness. With honesty, tenderness, and a surprising thread of humour, she captures the emotional landscape of dementia: the sorrow, the frustration and the small absurdities. Even readers who rarely pick up poetry will find themselves drawn in by her reflections on the journey of living alongside her mother’s dementia and through the aftermath of loss, including childhood recollections and also a practical exercise designed to help readers process their own emotions around loss. I’m sure this collection will resonate deeply with anyone navigating the challenges of dementia, or indeed, any experience of illness and bereavement.
Greg Watkin

For anyone traversing the undulating trail of accompanying a loved one on their journey through dementia, this book will resonate. It does not shower the reader with generalisations that just don’t fit, or with platitudes that ring hollow. It is an account of the author discovering the rough terrain of being with a loved one who is slowly being lost on the journey. The pain is real and the loss is tangible. And while each soul affected with this tragic cruel thief that is dementia has a different journey, there are common stops along the way. Lorraine captures these moments in a manner that allows us paint the picture in our head. I particularly appreciate the comment in her forward “I can guarantee, that you, your loved one, and those around, will at times all disagree. On everything from feeding cups and ready meals, to what they watch on television.” This is a collection of poems written by someone who knows the journey, someone who appreciates each journey is unique, and that each step is taken with courage, love and compassion. Even the titles of Lorraine’s poems are an insight in themselves. “Lavender Smellories” is such a perfect title. If you are looking for a collection of poems where you will immediately identify your favourite, stop before you turn open the cover. This will be more of a reference book where each step will be highlighted and so depending on where your mind takes you on any given day, there will be something here to resonate within your soul. The collection takes us delicately and sensitively through the journey of living with dementia and highlights milestones along the way. IT reassures us we are not alone, despite feeling the stark isolation of watching someone fade away while still with us. “The House Clearing” perfectly captures the conflicting feelings we all have at this stage of bereavement. It has an honesty and authenticity that can only come with living through the experience. The way Lorraine draws humour from the tragedy is heartening. In particular her references to “squirreling food away”. It seems fitting in such a collection to include many of Lorraine’s own fond memories. Poignant, emotional and sobering, yet clearly the foundations of her own self. And yet, this collection has a positive, recurrent theme. Live the “now”, appreciate the present and all that is with you each moment. Tomorrow is promised to no one.