Commodore Rookery

Commodore Rookery tells a small story of survival, resilience, and healing. In the wake of a traumatic labor, breastfeeding struggles, postpartum insomnia, and Covid isolation, Barnes finds unexpected solace in taking her infant son on daily visits to the local blue heron colony. Through concise, image-driven poetry, she captures and honors her own early matrescence-the process of becoming a mother-in dreams, fairy tales, daily walks, and 4:00 am feedings. This is not just a postpartum or a pandemic story; it is a story for anyone who's been forced to painfully shed old skin to find a stronger, softer, more brilliant creature beneath.