The Mothers of Us All

When you hear the word mother, what comes to mind? The answer to that question is a little different for everyone. For many, the word brings a smile and a warm feelings. For others, the word provokes an involuntary shudder or brings that burn of angry bile to the back of the throat. Or maybe, when heard, the tears well and a longing from deep down tugs at the heart strings. "The Mothers of Us All" has stories and poems that touch on all of these emotions. The poems look at the intense love and trust that exists between mother and child and how emotionally difficult and rewarding that closeness can be. In 'Penny's Cookies," Marjorie tries to independently cope with the loss of her young friend, Penny, until circumstances bring her back together with Penny's mom and her long time friend Peter for a healing reunion. In 'Mother's Terribly Wonderful Boy," Cal's unsettling relationship with his mother, causes Christine to question her nostalgic romp with romantic spontaneity. Valerie, "The Compassionate Wife," is a cold, overly ambitious executive, whose husband and child have become an inconvenience. In 'Damned Locusts,' an unlikely dream nudges Melanie to examine the lack of focus on her own needs as she cares for her family. Teen-aged rebellion and a sleepless night set Margo on an absurd mission to reconnect with her daughter in "Love You Too Much." In 'Letting Go,' Andee has learned that love alone is not enough to mend her toxic relationship with her mother and takes action to cleanse herself so she can move on. In the final story, 'Margie's Mirage,' Jean returns to her childhood home, hoping to repair deep wounds left when her mother and the town of Prentiss, rejected her because she was gay.