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The Trouble with Being a Childless Only Child
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 17, 2024
Michelle Meyer’s collection takes readers on an emotional journey through grief with honesty. The poems reflect the complexity of loss — something everyone faces but some are not able to write about. Michelle wrote about grief with bravery, and each poem was crafted together with delicate, profound writing. The collection feels like a diary and we—the readers—are invited into her deepest, most sincere and private thoughts. Standout poems include: “When I Was Six I Learned About Death,” “Groceries for Mom,” “Mother/Daughter Day,” “Heir,” “Look at How I’m Becoming My Mother,” “Sour,” “All Along,” “Grief Semantics,” “I Say,” “Through the Cracks,” “Pieces,” “The Trouble with Being a Childless Only Child,” and “Reincarnation Prayer for My Mother.”
Michelle’s words provide an acceptance of grief with a desire to make sense of loss — if possible. From her writing, it is clear her relationship with her mother wasn’t perfect, yet she is honest with her feelings. There was a before (when her mother was alive) and there is an after (grieving her mother). What’s *next*? Meyer questions this, as well. What’s next? Michelle is an only child and she has no children of her own. So, who will remember her mother when Michelle, too, passes away? This is a question most people don’t consider, but perhaps we should.
That’s why we read Michelle’s collection. Her words are powerful, and they leave us with more opportunities for self-reflection.
Michelle’s words provide an acceptance of grief with a desire to make sense of loss — if possible. From her writing, it is clear her relationship with her mother wasn’t perfect, yet she is honest with her feelings. There was a before (when her mother was alive) and there is an after (grieving her mother). What’s *next*? Meyer questions this, as well. What’s next? Michelle is an only child and she has no children of her own. So, who will remember her mother when Michelle, too, passes away? This is a question most people don’t consider, but perhaps we should.
That’s why we read Michelle’s collection. Her words are powerful, and they leave us with more opportunities for self-reflection.
February 16, 2024
The poignant collection of poems included in The Trouble with Being a Childless Only Child explores Michelle Meyer’s emotional journey upon the death of her mother. In her introduction, Meyer states “. . . I had to document, grieve, apologize, forgive, cope, and most importantly, I had to—needed to—remember.”
The author’s obvious love for her mother is reflected in every poem as she exposes the deep ache inside of her. The book’s title reveals her struggle and fears that since she had no siblings and no children of her own, not only would her mother be gone but memories of her mother would also disappear. What a heart-breaking thought!
The deep, thought-provoking poems exhibit how love and loss often mix together as the one who is grieving struggles to understand how to accept and move on. Meyer’s raw emotion and haunting words will linger in your mind long after reading.
The author’s obvious love for her mother is reflected in every poem as she exposes the deep ache inside of her. The book’s title reveals her struggle and fears that since she had no siblings and no children of her own, not only would her mother be gone but memories of her mother would also disappear. What a heart-breaking thought!
The deep, thought-provoking poems exhibit how love and loss often mix together as the one who is grieving struggles to understand how to accept and move on. Meyer’s raw emotion and haunting words will linger in your mind long after reading.
June 27, 2024
A stunning poetry collection deep-diving into grief and its many facets - guilt, anger, despair. Beautifully crafted.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews