*To read along and see the pictures/video that accompany this episode, please visit mothercrowpoetry.com or check out the corresponding Substack post.

Please find yourself a cathartic seat in the audience as we dive into the life and death of a young man who deserves to be remembered.

I am thrilled to present, In Memoriam:

A birthday tribute in honor of Angel Boy, My brother, Danny (May 27, 1992- August 7, 2011)

* May 21st, 2023: “It Took You Dying For Me” 

* May 22nd, 2023: “Look to the Angels” 

* May 23rd, 2023: “Superman” 

* May 24th, 2023: “No Regrets” 

* May 25th, 2023: “Memory Drops” 

* May 26th, 2023: “His Death Is.” 

* May 27th, 2023: “21 Yellow Balloons” 

* "Grow with me as I grow. You are eternal in what I know." 

~Mother Crow

Although this episode of Mother Crow focuses on the memory of one person you may or may not have known, I hope my reflections on bereavement may appeal to the universal experience of loss. Grief is something we will all be introduced to at some point in our lives, and it is likely that someone you know is in the throes of it as we speak. Please forward Mother Crow to anyone who may be interested in the sentiments found in my poetry and prose.

To listen to individual poetry tracks from “In Memoriam” as well as those found in previous issues of Mother Crow, please visit www.mothercrowpoetry.com

Please visit www.mothercrowpoetry.com to READ, LOOK, LISTEN, WATCH, & Grow with Mother Crow or Subscribe to Mother Crow for Poetry, Podcasts, and Creative Writing Prompts sent directly to your inbox.

Mother Crow Connection is a Mother Crow podcast installment that features conversations with writers, artists, healers, thinkers, and mothers on the topics of expressing oneself, mental health & motherhood.

In this episode, Re: The Fun House, I speak with J (a mother of two and a friend I’ve known and loved since early childhood) who shares the harrowing details of her postpartum crisis following the birth of her firstborn daughter.

J’s story is unusually painful, and although what she went through is uncommon, Postpartum Psychosis is not unheard of. Her goal in telling this story is to spread awareness of PPP in hopes that one day its symptoms will be included on hospital surveys, that hospitals will allow mothers and babies to navigate postpartum trauma together, and that mothers will be given the best care, support, and forgiveness they need (from loved ones and medical professionals alike) to heal and enjoy life with their children thereafter.

Join us as we explore the topics of Insomnia, Mania, Postpartum Psychosis, and the Importance of Sleep for a mother’s mental health.

I am your host, Sophia Elizabeth.

Let’s connect and Mother Crow!

***People experiencing postpartum psychosis are at a much higher risk of harming themselves, dying by suicide, or harming their own children. People with PPP can’t recognize or understand their own symptoms, so in order to help them, you must stay calm, don’t judge or argue with them, don’t leave them unsupervised, and get them medical attention ASAP. If someone you know is exhibiting the signs of postpartum psychosis, it is extremely important to immediately seek emergency services. With treatment, postpartum psychosis is reversible, and with treatment, many women have more children in the future without it re-occurring. The ideal form of treatment for a mother with postpartum psychosis is in a specialized psychiatric unit called an MBU, or a mother and baby unit. However, MBUs are not widely available nor commonplace, so general psychiatric wards - or ones in which the baby will not be permitted- are usually where mothers with PPP end up receiving their treatment, an unfortunate but often necessary route in most urgent circumstances. That is why it is so important for mothers, like J, to tell their stories and shine a spotlight on the need for more specialized support in postpartum psychiatric care.

Hello and Welcome to Mother Crow, a collection of poetry, storytelling, and healing through art.

This episode is titled Metacog-Gnosis because knowledge of the truth mixed with self-awareness brought me bliss on my post-traumatic journey to finding order within.

* The Importance of Shattered Innocence (Essay)

* Broken Record Epiphanies (Poem)

* This Time Around, Though (Poem)

* Knowing Forward (Poem)

* Picking for Plums (Poem)

* Dissociative Identity Order (Poem)

* The Order Within (Essay)

"My goal in creating Mother Crow is to entertain, enlighten, and affect you with my artistry, stories, and insight. Any poem can be read, but when it is painted, performed, stripped down, and exposed, it can breathe, cry, dance, and sing. As a multi-faceted artist, I intend to inundate your senses with meaning and inspire a new perspective."

~ Sophia Elizabeth

Re: Birth Stories focuses on the topics of birth, rebirth, and the importance of remembering ourselves in reflection of the “Birth Stories” issue of Mother Crow.

It kicks off with an interview with author and Intuitive Life Coach, Angela DeSalvo, about her new book, Soul Warrior: How to Liberate Yourself from Survival Mode and Thrive Through Any Challenge, as well as the importance of remembering oneself in her life-changing practice, Transformational Soul Work.

To learn more about Angela’s work, please visit www.AngelaDeSalvo.net

You can purchase her new book, Soul Warrior, on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

At timestamp 27:00, my husband and I reflect on a story I wrote titled, A Birth Story, as we explore his perspective as father and witness to the traumatic birth of our firstborn son.

And finally, at timestamp 51:00, Jess Bushnell shares her birth stories as a mother of two. We discuss the details of her firstborn's home birth, her birth injuries, such as a condition called Diastasis Recti, and her path to recovery, the benefits of a supportive doula, a partner's role and their perspective during labor and delievery, and the importance of telling these stories.

I am your host, Sophia Elizabeth.

Let’s connect and Mother Crow!

Podcast Transcript Available at https://mothercrow.substack.com/p/mother-crow-connection#details

Welcome to "The Fun House"

...an insomniac's waking dream.

Days bleed into nights;

the psyche is

splitting.

* “Step Right Up! If you dare…” (poem)

* “The Wide-eyed Walnuts” (painting and poem)

* “A Wide-eyed Explanation” (poetic prose)

* “Waste Pasted Porn Pies” (poem)

* “Pitter Backtracking” (poem)

* “Hall of Mirrors” (micropoem)

* “Untitled” (poem)

* “Moon Message Under a Shroom Canopy” (poem)

* “An Abstract Elephant” (painting and poem)

* “The Obvious Hooey” (painting and micropoem)

* “Oily Eyes on Ice” (poem)

* “The Fun House” Exit (prose)

~Sophia Elizabeth (Mother Crow)

In the spirit of Post-Halloween,

I lift my mask

to reveal where I’ve been.

P.s. If you enjoyed listening and would like to support the ongoing creation of this newsletter and podcast, please consider writing Mother Crow a review on Apple Podcasts via the iTunes app.

Thank you!

To read the poems featured in this episode, please visit Mother Crow:

https://mothercrow.substack.com/

Mother Crow is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Mother Crow is a collection of poetry, prose, and healing through art. The "Birth Stories" episode covers the topics of birth and rebirth from loss and trauma to motherhood and mental health.

* Fetal Position (Painting)

* An Exchange of Change (Poem)

* Metacog-Nascence (Poem)

* Born Again Mother (Poem)

* A Birth Story (Autobiographical Narrative)

~Sophia Elizabeth (Mother Crow)

Please Visit mothercrow.substack.com to read the newsletter and see the art featured in this episode.

Mother Crow is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

* Raven Medicine (Painting)

* The Naked Raven (Poem)

* Midnight Messengers (Poetic Prose)

* Beak Therapy (Autobiographical Narrative)

* Just Caws (Micropoem)

~Sophia Elizabeth (Mother Crow)

Visit mothercrow.substack.com to read the “Ravens” newsletter and see the art featured in this episode.

Mother Crow is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.