Mama by Katherine Satorius
Editorial Intern Tovey Grimmitt on today’s piece: "Mama" is a surreal, thought-provoking short, where readers dive into the many layers of perception, identity, and the intangible forces that shape us. Lose yourself in this story's rhythm, as "Mama" unfolds into a hypnotic reflection on the boundaries of self.
Mama
Mama is a vapor. Mama is a shell. Mama rose up from inside. Mama floated down from above. Mama is a coat. A coating. Mama is made up. Mama is central. Mama is peripheral, external. Mama is me. Mama isn't me. Mama is a second self. Mama is made of absorbed opinions, philosophies, methods, prevailing wisdoms, some article, old advice. Mama is a focused ray of collective consciousness. Mama is simple logic, yes and no. Mama is enveloping. Mama is a wall. Mama is the whole boundary. Mama knows what’s coming next. Mama holds you. Mama is not full of holes. Mama is not lost. Mama is not on some other planet. Mama is not a writer. Otherwise more would be happening. Mama is structure. Stability. Mama is always awake, looking over the next hill. Mama won't let you fall. Mama doesn't want anyone getting hurt. Mama reduces suffering. Mama fixes, doesn't break. Breaking is what others do. Mama cleans. Feeds. Organizes. Admits mistakes so you won't feel bad. Mama is a 4-D system, an elastic world.
Katherine Satorius lives in L.A. with her partner and daughter. Her writing has appeared in Vol. 1 Brooklyn, ZYZZYVA, DIAGRAM, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. Find her at katherinesatorius.com.
