The Dementia of Language

These poems are about a family’s loss: the loss of a mother’s mental capabilities due to dementia, the loss of her words, and the loss of her family’s ability to hold on to her identity. The chapbook is divided into three parts, each told from one family member’s perspective, as in Part 1: The Daughter’s Poem. As the mother struggles for expression, she asserts her presence throughout each poem, even when her voice is absent.