Mother Lode/Mother Load, by Mala Hoffman

Poetry, chapbook, 24 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

The idea of legacy is often fraught with emotion. What do we choose to carry on and how best to do this are questions that pervade Mala Hoffman’s Mother Lode/Mother Load. In two multi-sectioned poems, the author examines both her relationship with the title parent and her own diminishing existence. These moments intertwine to reveal how trauma can shape the choices one makes and how one responds in the face of it.

Aging thoughtfully is not as easy as it seems. This collection demonstrates that accepting what has been can become a pathway to living a fuller and more peaceful life. In a sense, it is the only option.

Mala Hoffman is a poet and educator who lives in Gardiner, N.Y. Her work has appeared in the Village Voice, Chronogram, Awosting Alchemy, Literary Gazette and edna, among others. Her poetry collections include Half Moon Over Midnight (Paper Kite Press), A Year of Wednesdays (Finishing Line Press), Becoming Bubbe (The Poet’s Haven), and A History of Place (Finishing Line Press). She is also the co-author, with her daughter Lucy Moran, of Dispelling the Shadow: Activities Exploring Life and Death with Young People (Routledge). Her most recent work is How to Live with Ghosts, published by Bottlecap Press in 2025.