These are the opening lines of Bunny Iskov's award-winning poem, "When the Dead Depart", Iskov's poem speaks about her son Howie who has been mentally handicapped since childhood.

More recently, Iskov was honoured at Vaughan's first annual Recognizing Arts Vaughan Excellence Awards. The awards highlights achievements individuals, businesses and organizations make to the arts.

The Vaughan-based poet says she uses writing as a platform to combat mental health stigmas. "Even though he's mute, Howie's a speaker in my poems", Iskov said of her 36 year old son. A lot of Iskov's works talk about how her son lived with his illness as he was growing up and she thanks a supportive husband. "My husband is my best friend," she says, "but now it is different because I also have 200 friends at the Ontario Poetry Society."