…..

Insomnia

“Let’s take a walk” she suggests

at one in the morning, when I can’t sleep.

We stroll around the block

slippers scuffing the grit at the edge of the asphalt,

lake breezes sneaking under our nightgowns,

quiet voices mingling with the cicadas and frogs.

 

I lay awake now, and wonder:

What did we talk about, on those walks?

And why was my mother always awake

staring out the window

sitting in the dark?

……

This poem is from the chapbook Mothers and Other People by Karen Taylor (Finishing Line Press), and is available at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/mothers-and-other-people-by-karen-taylor/

….

Mothers and Other People is a poignant collection delving into themes of death, loss, estrangement, nostalgia, and family. From the ache of unspoken words to the weight of unresolved conflicts, the poems in this collection delve into the emotional terrain of estrangement with raw honesty and vulnerability. Mothers and Other People invites readers on a journey of introspection and reflection, encouraging them to confront their own experiences of loss, estrangement, identity, and the complexities of family relationships.

Karen Taylor has written several short stories for anthologies, but this is her first poetry collection. She lives in Queens, NY and recently celebrated 25 years with her spouse, author/editor Laura Antoniou.