Motherhood: Journey into Love

Edited by Edwina Peterson Cross
Fully illustrated
Cover design by Susan F. Douglas and Cathleen Gardner

Softcover book
102 pages

The arresting poetry and exquisite artwork of contemporary mothers make this both a timely and timeless collection. From the first awareness of pregnancy to anticipating future grandchildren, from struggling with questions of identity to reflecting on deep contentment, from the exuberant joys to the wrenching heartaches of motherhood -- the most intimate feelings and inspired insights are expressed in these eloquent poems. Evocative artwork rendered in a variety of media by thirty artists is an integral part of this breathtaking collection, providing visual pleasure on every page and an invitation for contemplation.

Readers will nod knowingly as they discover one beautifully wrought phrase after another bringing to light both the uniqueness and the universality of motherhood. The diverse, compelling voices of more than forty poets examine these and other topics:

the wonders and transformation of pregnancy,
anticipation and awe of birth,
grief and sorrow of miscarriage,
profound and everyday moments of mother/child relationships,
complexities of life with a special needs child,
poignancy of adolescence,
mothers' awareness of growth and the process of letting go.

Selected with great care and skillfully reproduced to maintain the character of the originals, the artwork beautifully complements the poems. The variety of artists' media include pencil, ink, graphite and charcoal drawings, watercolor and acrylic paintings, prints and etchings. Printed on high-quality heavyweight linen paper, this book will become a lasting treasure.

Laughing, reminiscing, sighing and crying, readers will find themselves returning again and again to poems that echo in their hearts. Written, edited and illustrated by today's mothers, Motherhood: Journey Into Love offers camaraderie, support and a sense of community. This anthology of poetry and art is remarkable for its quality and soaring power.

Motherhood: Journey Into Love is a terrific gift for women in any stage of mothering -- and grandmothers, too! For holidays, special occasions, or to let a friend know you are thinking of her.

We have excerpted "Mothers" and "Missing" from our book.

See the Table of Contents of Motherhood: Journey into Love.

Read What Other Mothers Have to Say about our book.

Excerpts from the Preface:

"All the poems contained in this anthology came from the pages of Welcome Home, the monthly journal of Mothers At Home. Throughout their richness and diversity runs a strong thread of camaraderie, support and sense of community. This is what is offered each month by Welcome Home to mothers who have chosen to devote their time and talents to nurturing their families. My gratitude and admiration go to the poets who have shared their dreams, their heartaches, and their wealth of beautifully wrought words. From our separate songs, together we have woven a symphony." -- Edwina Peterson Cross

**Table of Contents**
*Preface* "Mother" by Edwina Peterson Cross Sonogram by Beth L. Foote First Movement by Sue Stormoen Lullabye by Beth Kephart Sulit Waiting for You by Robin Rice Morris The Wait by Joan R. Wollin The Walk by Katherine H. Maynard Shifting by Leanne Thompson Worwood Inland Seas by Heather Grant Birth Song by Tamara O. Perdue Adopted Miracle by Donna-Jean A. Breckenridge Baby Milk by Cheryl Racanelli A Balm by Marcia Crosbie When Neighbors Have Their Babies by Victoria Everitt Meditation in a Rocking Chair by Marcia Crosbie The First Four Months are the Hardest by Margaret Ashburn Krajeski Work-day Morning by Ed Peterson To Other Mothers by Seema V. Atalla Sleep Tight by Carola Van Heukelom My Sister's Child by Valerie Rossetti On Leavetaking by Wendy McVicker 6-13-89 by Marcia Crosbie Getting It by Robert Deluty First Birthday by Carol Mader Phone Call to my Mother by Edwina Peterson Cross Multiple Me by Nedda Davis Thanksgiving by Marcia Crosbie Evening by Kelly A. Kim Baby Book by Beth Joselow Walking with my Friend on Saturday Morning by Linda H. Carney Two Hearts by Elizabeth Wiegard Vacant House by Daryl Rohrbacher Daily Bread by Rosa Turner Knapp May I Join In? by Connie Post For my Toddler by Cynthia Thomas Present Perfect by Rosa Turner Knapp Grating Parmesan by Barbara Crooker	Up in the Night by Kati Simons Mommy Writes by Tawnya Israel Missing by Marcia Crosbie Preschool Days by Wendy McVicker In the Clerestory of Leaves by Barbara Crooker Lost Innocence by Betty Ellen Walter A Painting of Love by Moryt Milo Nocturne by Diana Rogers Love's Labor by Jana Vick A Poem for my Husband by Carol Mader Storage Boxes by Peggy Towers First Day of Kindergarten by Robert Deluty Spring Song for Taran by Edwina Peterson Cross Things to Do Today, Tomorrow, and Always by Cathy Drinkwater Better The Lost Children by Barbara Crooker Retrospective By Anita DeLuna Becthold Boxes by Edwina Peterson Cross there is no party by Cristy Pollak First Camp-Out by Diana Rogers The Vineyard by Barbara Crooker Three Mothers by Kelly A. Kim The Children of The Challenger League Enter Paradise by Barbara Crooker Ten Years of April by Edwina Peterson Cross Applewood by Barbara Crooker The Umbilical Cord by Jana Vick Paradox by Kathryn Ahrens For Lezlie at Twelve by Edwina Peterson Cross Nearly Thirteen by Gayle Blair Urban Open Door by Vicky Vincent Daughter's Dance by Patricia Hubbard Marriage Geometry by Patricia Hubbard As we gather in our mothers' kitchens by Sauci Churchill Commencement by Gail Parker My Oldest Child by Linda Sultan On Giving Birth to Grandparents by Robin Alpern Mothers by Edwina Peterson Cross *Index* *About Mothers At Home*

"I've read every poem and seen every illustration in Motherhood: Journey Into Love and feel a need to write and congratulate you... (on this) perfect showcase for your organization's work. The book is attractive, the quality of poetry and artwork is excellent, and of course the underlying principles of parenting it acknowledges -- love, commitment, responsibility -- are inarguably important and relevant."
--Linda C., Los Gatos, California

Attention Organizations, Parenting Publications, and Mothers' Groups:

All three books are available directly from FAHN at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases, sales promotions, premiums, or fund-raising. For information, please call 703-827-5903 or email fahn@familyandhome.org.