04/10/2026
April is National Poetry Month, so we've pulled together a list of poets whose collections explore motherhood and various challenges of the perinatal period. Within these poems, the writers delve into themes of infant loss, pregnancy loss, high-risk pregnancy, matrescence, maternal mental health, mothering with mental illness, birth trauma, grief, and isolation. However, these are also collections of strength, resilience, community, and recovery. At Anchor, we believe that shared stories of lived experience are powerful tools for healing, so we hope you find something useful in one of these collections.
Slide 2: Path of Totality by Niina Pollari from Soft Skull Press
Slide 3: Bianca by Eugenia Leigh from Four Way Books
Slide 4: Lying In by Elizabeth Metzger from Milkweed Editions
Slide 5: Figment by Leila Chatti from Bull City Press
Slide 6: A Red Knock-Knocking Like a Heart by Kate Gaskin from LSU Press
Slide 7: Women on the Moon by Debora Kaun from Word Works Books
Slide 8: All That We Ask of You Is to Always Be Happy by Bridget Bell from CavanKerry Press