Ex-priest ex-drunk
tells of final suicide morning
February frogs croaking
behind St. Annes Rectory
4 o clock in the morning
ready for rehab
a question of faith”

“If I say I believe in the Three Jewels
but take refuge in Norco
in what do I really believe?”

-Emergency Room Redux

Institutional Wallet is a personal and intrigueing collection of poetry by poet Suzi Kaplan Olmsted. Inside the covers of this collection, readers will find verse that is poignant, upfront, bemusing and even gritty. A great read, Suzi confronts the in and outs of the mental ward, reminisces over psych medication and offers a view so seldom seen by others outside the confines of what is viewed as “normal” living. This is a gem of a collection that contains work delivered with utter humility, quiet disbelief, subtle humor and a penchant for the unexpected.

$10