My Mother Closes the Book

Meredith Davies Hadaway
Published on January 4, 2024

My mother died twice—the first 
was the hardest. 

Her eyes abandoned her 
to shadow and distortion. Exiled

from her world of books, 
she drifted.

We brought her audio replacements, 
but she complained they shouted.

She missed the quiet journey 
through hushed pages, would 

sometimes turn them anyway,
fingers skimming every spread. 

Near the end, she heard them 
whispering. What do they tell you? 

I asked her. Shhh—she said—
this one’s the Epilogue.

Genre: 
Poetry
Author Bio: 

Meredith Davies Hadaway is the author of three poetry collections, most recently At the Narrows, winner of the Delmarva Book Prize.  Small Craft Warning, a collaborative volume with artist Marcy Dunn Ramsey, is due out in 2024. She is currently the Sophie Kerr Poet-in-Residence at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.

Issue: 
62