Who is the mother in the poetry collection, Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth?

Mothers appear in many poems in the book, and most of them have lost the father of their child. Sometimes the father has died, but more often he has left her, or their relationship has broken down. These mothers display strength and resilience, and are viewed with awe by their children. They often endure physical and/or sexual abuse at the hands of men, and their pain is disregarded by those around them. This can be seen in "Your Mother's First Kiss," "Fire," "The Kitchen," "What Your Mother Told You After Your Father Left," and others