Speaking up: Tonya Beechey and Mark Elshout prepare their exhibition.
ERIN PEARSON
GRIEF is “something very real” that people should talk about, says poet Tonya Beechey.
The mother of two’s poetry and photography exhibition opening this Friday night will uncover her emotional journey since her husband died of gastric cancer in 2010.
Newtown’s Boom Gallery will feature Ms Beechey’s poetry and the photography of friend Mark Elshout exploring the darker side of life.
“I just want other people to see grief’s not something to be scared of,” Ms Beechey said.
“The poetry I’ve written over the last 20 months is about my journey and feelings at the time. Some days are really crap and some days are good.”
Ms Beechey said she took the first six months without Richard ‘Drummer’ Beechey, a former Independent employee, “one day at a time”.
“Life obviously changes and perspective changes quite a bit. We had to get used to life with three instead of four.”
Ms Beechey said all exhibition proceeds would go to a gastric cancer study.
