Pillows With No Buttons, by Katie Hopkins Gebler

Poetry, chapbook, 40 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

Pillows With No Buttons is about love present but at times unattainable, seen in moments hardly noticeable: a monk triggering a realization about lost love, rose petals in the shape of a heart on a sidewalk only one person was supposed to see, strangers together connected by star gazing. It takes you to Detroit, and details notable moments of early family life and love, then into a Bay area suburb where neighbors reveal themselves in brief encounters that shine and beg for a reaction. It shows rich, detailed moments with grandchildren who are sensitive and thrilled about bees and Swamp Monsters.

Gentle and introspective, this collection invites the reader to experience moments of joy, sadness, and compassion for those not a part of our lives. The poems center around ordinary details of day to day, past and present— the natural world, the reality of conflict, small surprises that connect to bigger issues we face daily—and leave the reader knowing how much the Blood Moon or a sea lion swimming with a tub on her head can stir us.

Katie Hopkins Gebler grew up in Detroit where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Detroit. After moving to Walnut Creek CA, she taught English Composition and Critical Thinking classes at Diablo Valley College before she retired. She has published in The Writer Magazine, Anderbo, Ursa Minor (UC Berkeley), and Love’s Executive Order. She spends her days giggling with her grandkids, working on to the perfect Pilates Bird-Dog, and practicing her Vriksashana.