Books I Love
Sharing poetry collections I love.
a history of holding
poems on motherhood
Allison Mei-Li
Allison Mei-Li’s collection “A History of Holding” is a breathtaking debut. I could just randomly flip open a page and fall in love, but reading the book in full was amazing. The poems touch on everything from Mei-Li’s desire to become a mother and difficulties in getting pregnant, to the brutal reality of postpartum and the true beauty that is motherhood.
These poems are visceral, making space for mothers to feel seen and less alone, letting the reader relive all the moments she writes about. Feeling plucked out of my environment and inserted into the hug of the poems is new for me, but maybe it is an experience that is exclusively something a mother can feel.
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In “If a mom said…” Mei-Li concludes the poem with the line, “Finally, enough silence to hear her own thoughts, to know, underneath it all, she’s still there,” which neatly sums up a mom’s desire to exist beyond function. Mei-Li also blends a bit of humor with her poems “The Fine Print” and “Texts I’ve almost sent my son…” so her collection will have you rolling through all the emotions. This collection delicately balances the sentiments of being a mother in this stunning must-read for any mom.
Tiny Universe
Rachel Beachy
Rachel Beachy’s first collection of poetry is an absolute delight. Spanning pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond, Beachy manages to deliver a comprehensive representation about what it means to be a mother. She doesn’t shy away from the heartbreak, the emotional toll hormones create or the heaviness of motherhood, and each poem splays your heart, sometimes blooming with joy.
If you are a mother, you will see yourself in these poems. Like “Hysterical Strength” which brilliantly describes a mother’s strength. “This Means War” conveys how mothers’ instinct is flares up immediately for their child, not matter how small the threat. It is small poem packed with power. All the poems are so beautiful and capture the emotions of motherhood. Buy this book for all the mothers you know.
until it is true
poems
Katy Luxem
​Until it is true by Katy Luxem is collection stuffed full of compassionate poems that tackle motherhood and parenting with delight and a bit of humor. “Field Guide for the Western Mom” gently observes mothering “Look how she saves art and fact of it, the first haircut tousled feathers in a clear baggie.” From postpartum to the first moment her son walks into the men’s bathroom “and he goes alone now, off to all the places I cannot follow” to the rumor of gun violence in her daughter’s school… Luxem tackles the whole package of motherhood in this impressive collection that should be on every mom’s bookshelf.
Both True
Kristina Percy
Both True is a brave collection of poetry in which Kristina Percy delves into all aspects of motherhood. Her book opens with a message encouraging readers that if they think they are experiencing symptoms of a perinatal disorder to please talk to someone and assuring them whatever they are feeling, they are not alone. It’s easy to gloss over the tough stuff – to sweep it under the rug and pretend it doesn’t exist, but Percy tackles it in her poetry which will resonate and provide relief to readers who may be feeling the same. One of the most challenging parts of motherhood is feeling isolated and alone in your experience. Percy’s poetry doesn’t shy away from the darkness, which will be a life preserver for readers who are feeling like they are drowning. In a world where highlights reels are reality for voyeurs, Both True, weaves the dark and the light to tell the complex story of motherhood beyond the rose-colored glasses.