I Can't Recall Exactly When I Died is available now!

cover art by Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

 I Can't Recall Exactly When I Died, my fourth poetry chapbook, is now available from both Kelsay Books and Amazon. This collection of poems, both formal and free verse, explores the trauma and confusion that is experienced when a marriage dissolves. 

..."In the extraordinary 'Corona of Fragmentation,' the destruction of the speaker's past is complete, though pieces linger like a memory tripwire. The next seven poems reinforce this as each last line deftly begins the next poem, threading pain into one long lament...."
—Christine Klocek-Lim, editor of Autumn Sky Poetry DAILY

"...even I, as a never-married reader, felt a deep connection to the emotional sentiments expressed in the frankness of her poems. It is a treasured and sometimes teary-eyed collection to read alone, yet it is also the perfect collection to read out loud with a few friends over coffee or a good bottle of wine."
—Kay Kestner, editor of Poetry Breakfast

 
"...You are a new woman. The problem
is that the former woman—the younger,
 
broken one—is still there, admiring your
pencil skirts while mocking you
 
for thinking you could ever leave her
behind. She covets your freedom,
 
you desire her youth. The cleverly colored
house isn’t big enough for the both of you..."

From "After"

 

"A woman neither dead nor of the living
can roam about as if she were still whole;
the lessons that I learned about surviving
throughout my life prepared me for this role.
Since functioning is valued as a treasure
above all else, this ghost-woman can pass
as human. By my culture’s steady measure,
my dressed-up essence covers up my loss...."

From "Corona of Fragmentation"

 

"...We break each other again and again;
he loses his sole, but goes on with the game.
He defeats me. We pack our belongings
and go our separate ways, not even bothering
to calculate our impressive collection of faults."

From "Playing Tennis with My Ex"