Extraordinary Sunshine Weaver

Thank you, Angela Kosta, for inviting me to submit more poems! These poems are from my book Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir, which is available on Amazon and other online venues and some bookstores. The poem, “Mother’s Light” first appeared in Anti-Heroin Chic by editor James Diaz.

The poems I am featuring here appeared today, September 1, in the magazine SINDH COURIER – PAKISTAN (Editor Nasir Aijaz): “Mother’s Light”, “Bearing the World”, and “Ode to the Embryo that My T-Shaped Uterus Miscarried”.

https://sindhcourier.com/mothers-light-guides-me-to-her-poetry-from-usa/

The poems here are about fertility. Mom was able to bear 7 children, but I was infertile due to a drug she was given while pregnant with me. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) ruined my reproductive system and caused a miscarriage. My case is one of thousands and thousands. Many men and women are DES Babies. We’ve fought infertility and cancers among other effects. Fortunately, my gynecologist, Dr. William Griffin, was a DES specialist. I fell under his care by accident as a graduate student who went to the Student Health Center for health care. I was so fortunate that he knew what to monitor. I had many cancer scares, biopsies, and surgeries throughout the years of care under Dr. Griffin.

I wanted to share these poems to help educate people on one of the many causes of infertility. DES is no longer prescribed for pregnant women. Still, the effects hurt even the fetuses of DES Babies who manage to get pregnant and carry a baby to term, causing generational trauma! I didn’t want my children to suffer health issues just because I wanted to have a baby. I could have had my T-shaped uterus tied and gone daily for hormone treatments, but I was emotionally drained and had a full-time job. Adoption wasn’t going to work out, so my husband and I gave up wanting to have children.

Some people who didn’t know my history would confront me and even bully me about being childless. I encourage people not to judge those who are childless. There are many reasons why people may not have children. I wish people would not accuse childless people of hating children. I was accused of that often and in public places. It was painful. And now I find the current verbal attacks on childless women to be triggering.

However, I realize that some people are not informed on the many causes of infertility.

I’ve found this site on DES (Diethylstilbestrol) to be informative: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/des-fact-sheet

Infertility Information: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/infertility/symptoms-causes/syc-20354317

Infertility Rates in the U.S.: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infertility.htm

Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (EIF- Experiments in Fiction, 2022)

My poetry collection is a love story about me and my mother. When I told my uncle that mom would be moving closer to me for help (she ended up with the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s), my uncle asked me if I loved her or not. His question set me off on a quest to seek the answer. I did a life review of myself and Mom, the key events and issues that bolstered our love, and those that required forgiveness. To care for her as she navigated Alzheimer’s, I endeavored to do the grief work necessary to open my heart and be the caregiver Mom needed.

Information on Alzheimer’s: https://www.alz.org/ September 21 is World’s Alzheimer’s Day.