As a kid, I used a Ouija board to scratch 
the surface of the beyond. 
I craved 

conversation. Mother used 
it as a desk blotter. 
She paid 

bills over that field, ignoring 
the generous spirits 
who tried 

to speak. Now I keep 
that old board quiet 
in the closet. 

And I can’t talk about Mother 
anymore. I worry 
she might hear. 

Jane Edna Mohler

is a Bucks County Poet Laureate Emerita (Pennsylvania), 2016 Winner of Main Street Voices, and second-place winner in the 2023 Crossroads Contest. Latest publications include Gargoyle, One Art, River Heron Review, Sheila-Na-Gig, and Verse-Virtual. Her collection, Broken Umbrellas, was published by Kelsay Books in 2019. Her work has been nominated multiple times for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Jane is Poetry Editor of Schuylkill Valley Journal.

Author’s website: https://www.janeednamohler.com/