My Ex's Evangelical Mother's Perspective of Womanhood by Lauren Elise Fisher (Connecticut, 22)

We make space for grief and gratitude.

A simple motif: Men do brood
in disbelief when we snap back with attitude.
He may be deadbeat, but you shouldn't be shrewd!
(He needs a debrief every time you’re rude)

Grief.
Almost a religious belief, We exude
expectations before giving in to “when/if”.
(The feelings We exclude to keep our belief…)

Gratitude.
I accrued it quietly in brief
moments imbued with relief
of what it takes to kill a dream.



Lauren Elise Fisher is a stage manager and writer based out of Bridgeport, CT. She holds a B.A. in theatre studies from the University of Connecticut where she studied stage management, performance, and puppetry. Her most recent publication, "Moving Forward" may be found in CultureCult's Spring Offensive anthology (April, 2023). Keep up with Lauren on Instagram and Twitter: @AllFishSwim.