Mothers sadly do not often receive the praise they deserve for their self-sacrifice and hard work. Franklin Douglas sings of their wondrous works in his new poetry collection Ode to Motherhood. Via the medium of forty-five poetic short stories, he captures the philosophical and moral essence of mothers’ emotions. Through vivid, vibrant prose, Douglas outlines the characteristics of earth’s mothers and gives credence to the care, beauty, and purity of motherhood. His words resonate with all readers who have been touched by a mother’s love, especially those who walk life’s path of conscious seeking. These poems are genuine and true. Douglas hopes to educate the generations to come through his insights. His poems are minimemoirs that pay homage to both the biological as well as voluntary mothers of the world. Mothers are to be celebrated for their hard work and endless devotion. Setting the tone for children and adults of all ages, embrace the mothers in your life and thank them for all they’ve done.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A memoir from the author of The Middle Place about mothers and daughters—a bond that can be nourishing, exasperating, and occasionally divine. When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom—with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life, which she was carefully orienting toward adventure. After college, armed with a backpack, her personal mission statement, and a wad of traveler’s checks, she took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting. But it didn’t turn out the way she pictured it. In a matter of months, her savings shot, she had a choice: get a job or go home. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. They chatted for an hour, discussed timing and pay, and a week later, Kelly moved in. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, 10,000 miles from the house where she was raised, her mother’s voice was suddenly everywhere, nudging and advising, cautioning and directing, escorting her through a terrain as foreign as any she had ever trekked. Every day she spent with the Tanner kids was a day spent reconsidering her relationship with her mother, turning it over in her hands like a shell, straining to hear whatever messages might be trapped in its spiral. This is a book about the difference between travel and life experience, stepping out and stepping up, fathers and mothers. But mostly it’s about who you admire and why, and how that changes over time. Praise for Glitter and Glue “I loved this book, I was moved by this book, and now I will share this book with my own mother—along with my renewed appreciation for certain debts of love that can never be repaid.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love “Kelly Corrigan’s thoughtful and beautifully rendered meditation invites readers to reflect on their own launchings and homecomings. I accepted the invitation and learned things about myself. You will, too. Isn’t that why we read?”—Wally Lamb, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Water “Kelly Corrigan is no stranger to mining the depths of her heart. . . . Through her own experience of caring for children, she begins, for the first time, to appreciate the complex woman who raised her.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
A versatile missive written from the intersections of gender, disability, trauma, and survival. “Some girls are not made,” torrin a. greathouse writes, “but spring from the dirt.” Guided by a devastatingly precise hand, Wound from the Mouth of a Wound—selected by Aimee Nezhukumatathil as the winner of the 2020 Ballard Spahr Prize for Poetry—challenges a canon that decides what shades of beauty deserve to live in a poem. greathouse celebrates “buckteeth & ulcer.” She odes the pulp of a bedsore. She argues that the vestigial is not devoid of meaning, and in kinetic and vigorous language, she honors bodies the world too often wants dead. These poems ache, but they do not surrender. They bleed, but they spit the blood in our eyes. Their imagery pulses on the page, fractal and fluid, blooming in a medley of forms: broken essays, haibun born of erasure, a sonnet meant to be read in the mirror. greathouse’s poetry demands more of language and those who wield it. “I’m still learning not to let a stranger speak / me into a funeral.” Concrete and evocative, Wound from the Mouth of a Wound is a testament to persistence, even when the body is not allowed to thrive. greathouse—elegant, vicious, “a one-girl armageddon” draped in crushed velvet—teaches us that fragility is not synonymous with flaw.
Author connected with nature following Henry David Thoreau, & conduced her philosophical transcendental mantra, such to her own personal eulogium & dedication to Mother Earth.
Poetry Book Motherhood is a beautiful and unique experience that is difficult to fully capture in words. It begins with the miracle of birth, as a mother holds her newborn baby in her arms and experiences an overwhelming sense of love and connection. This connection grows and deepens as the child grows and learns, and the bond between mother and child becomes a source of immense joy and fulfillment. The beauty of motherhood can be found in the simple moments, such as when a child smiles or laughs, or in the pride and awe a mother feels as she watches her child reach important milestones. Through the ups and downs of parenting, a mother's love is a constant force, offering comfort, guidance, and support. Motherhood is not without its challenges, but the strength, resilience, and selflessness that it requires only add to its beauty. As a child grows into adulthood, a mother's love and influence remain a vital part of their life, and the bond between mother and child endures. Ultimately, the beauty of motherhood lies in the profound and enduring connection between a mother and her child, a bond that lasts a lifetime and beyond.
Bouncing text filled with entertaining wordplay and adorable illustrations feature animal mothers of every shape and size, and encourage little readers to express big love for their moms.
I am 27 and have never killed a man but I know the face of death as if heirloom my country memorizes murder as lullaby —from “For Fahd” Textured with the sights and sounds of growing up in East New York in the nineties, to school on the South Side of Chicago, all the way to the olive groves of Palestine, My Mother Is a Freedom Fighter is Aja Monet’s ode to mothers, daughters, and sisters—the tiny gods who fight to change the world. Complemented by striking cover art from Carrie Mae Weems, these stunning poems tackle racism, sexism, genocide, displacement, heartbreak, and grief, but also love, motherhood, spirituality, and Black joy. Praise for Aja Monet: ““[Monet] is the true definition of an artist.” —Harry Belafonte ““In Paris, she walked out onto the stage, opened her mouth and spoke. At the first utterance I heard that rare something that said this is special and knew immediately that Aja Monet was one of the Ones who will mark the sound of the ages. She brings depth of voice to the voiceless, and through her we sing a powerful song.” —Carrie Mae Weems Of Cuban-Jamaican descent, Aja Monet is an internationally established poet, performer, singer, songwriter, educator, and human rights advocate. Monet is also the youngest person to win the legendary Nuyorican Poet’s Café Grand Slam title.
True story! "I spoke soothing words and touched her pale fingers. The silent weeping stopped." The baby's chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. Airway scarring rendered spoken language impossible. Heather wasn't my child, but her distress tattered my heart. Fourteen months old, the little one lay swaddled in a blanket, forgotten and lost amongst unchanging hospital routines. “Just be glad she’s only abandoned, not abused.” The words on the other end of the phone line stung. I wrestled with anger, but instinct quieted any sharp response. A chance meeting turned tragedy to miracle. I wrote the book about our search to give the voiceless child a family, to find a surgeon who could reconstruct her airway. Otherwise she would never speak, never swim. When I met her, she'd never been outside, never seen the sun, never seen the moon. She could not even move a finger. She'd always lived in a hospital on a breathing machine, fed by a tube in her tummy. No one dared dreamed she might survive and have a family of her own. Might we adopt her? Were the damning prophecies true? Sometimes dreams come true, more fantastic than envisioned. There is a newer subspecialty, pediatric otolaryngology. These ear, nose, and throat surgeons can restore voice and hearing. READ THE BOOK. WRITE A REVIEW. TELL YOUR FRIENDS. Enjoy the adventure of healing Heather and discover the miracle surgery that restores her voice. "This is a true story of hope, unconditional love, faith, as well as an exceptional family who would not take "No" for an answer. Ann writes beautifully with vision and descriptions that take you bedside with Heather, on family outings to the river, or just inside her home filled with laughter, scary moments with how fragile Heather was, the exhausting routine of life at that time, and finally the miracle of seeing Heather grow up." Kathy, Reader *** Diana Forrest. I'm reading this book now, can hardly put it down. Thanks be to God to her awesome Adopted family and to so many great Doctors and nurses. Heather is a living beautiful Miracle and a precious gift from God. Dec. 25, 2017 Janet Kortright rated it amazing. I could NOT put this book down. I read it in one night. Start to finish. I felt like I was part of the journey, the family. I will read this again and recommend it to others. A feel good story that shows they're are good people in the world. To advocate for children. To stand your ground to get the care needed for your children. Lynn, January 3, 2018 Voiceless Child is an amazing true story on the trials and tribulations in adopting a special medical needs child. A must read for all especially those who can relate to caring for and having a premature baby like me and my husband. Such a double blessing: For Heather - to be adopted by a loving family and getting a voice. For the family - the experience of adopting and providing medical needs for Heather that takes them on extraordinary life experiences of faith, hope, perseverance, joy, and love. Thanks Ann for sharing your true life experience! *** Heather’s story is heartwrenching, captivating, frustrating. I was impelled to read on to discover who would help or hinder her recovery. What I learned applauds the magical minds and hands of innovative surgeons. The inspiring story of perseverance is relevant to anyone who is facing a challenging obstacle. --Dar Walks Out, Lakota Sioux, Pine Ridge, South Dakota Voiceless Child is a thoughtful exploration of the grace and imperfections inherent in medical care systems and individual providers. Heather epitomizes the motivation for devising surgical procedures that eliminate a parent’s constant worry of death associated with airway disorders. -- Dr. Robin Cotton, director of pediatric otolaryngology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Before the events evolved to the point whose impact could only be conveyed through a book, I published it as an article, “The Child No One Wanted” in Woman’s Day. “We’ve had a terrific reaction to it. Our readers really loved the story.” --Jane Chesnutt, then editor-in-chief of Woman’s Day.
A raw, funny, and fiercely honest account of becoming a mother before feeling like a grown up. When Meaghan O'Connell got accidentally pregnant in her twenties and decided to keep the baby, she realized that the book she needed -- a brutally honest, agenda-free reckoning with the emotional and existential impact of motherhood -- didn't exist. So she decided to write it herself. And Now We Have Everything is O'Connell's exploration of the cataclysmic, impossible-to-prepare-for experience of becoming a mother. With her dark humor and hair-trigger B.S. detector, O'Connell addresses the pervasive imposter syndrome that comes with unplanned pregnancy, the fantasies of a "natural" birth experience that erode maternal self-esteem, post-partum body and sex issues, and the fascinating strangeness of stepping into a new, not-yet-comfortable identity. Channeling fears and anxieties that are still taboo and often unspoken, And Now We Have Everything is an unflinchingly frank, funny, and visceral motherhood story for our times, about having a baby and staying, for better or worse, exactly yourself. Smart, funny, and true in all the best ways, this book made me ache with recognition." -- Cheryl Strayed