Grayce Di Falco Tripodi had been screaming in the night for forty years when she entered my office for the first time. Her screams erupted from deep sleep and pierced the night with such agony that her husband was afraid she was dying. Grayce was helpless to stop her nightly torment. To help her survive she buried the traumatic origins of her pain deep inside herself.

Through several years of persistent and dedicated therapeutic work, Grayce discovered the horror she had concealed from herself and the world. As pieces of a disconnected past melded together, a spontaneous flow of verse poured forth. The result is Windows of Fear, a work of art that is both excruciating and triumphant.

Anyone who reads these poems and letters will understand and experience the impact of childhood sexual abuse. No one’s eyes will remain closed. Grayce allows us to see the helplessness of the trapped child, the rupture of innocence, the shattering experiences of the abuse, the instillation of the conspiracy of silence, the rage at her failed protectors, and ultimately the triumph of survival and the vanquishing of evil.

The poetry in this book comes from the heart and mouth of an inner child. At times brutally honest and graphic, at times spiritual and inspiring, the poetry penetrates us to the core. Like Grayce as a child we have no place to hide.

After reading this book we can no longer unconsciously seek refuge from the horrors of child abuse in the numbing sanctuary of denial. We are changed, and that is why this book is a triumph."