Orphaned in an Empty Nest

Once women hit a certain age, they somehow become less - less interesting, less entertaining, less attractive, less amusing, less noticeable. Sometimes gradual, sometimes sudden, there's a shift. Some women lose themselves completely to the shadows, while others choose this time to step into the light and reinvent themselves. Orphaned in an Empty Nest reflects a period of finding yourself in an era of dead parents and adult children who have their own lives. The poems consider how marital problems don't get better with age if you ignore them but may still be mendable with extra duct tape and time. St. James captures the ebb and flow of grief: losing parents to death, children to age, and self to the daily grind and fuses everything together with anger, grace, humor, and hope. It's a reflection of what was, an acceptance of what is, and a wish for what we can still be before we die. Consider it to be a vivid reminder to women that life is weird, menopause is weirder, and no one needs permission to be as weird as they always wanted to be!  

Themes & Tropes in Poems include Midlife • Grown Children • Grief • Mental Health • Women's Issues • Change in Relationship with Parents • Identity • Menopause • Grandparenting