Grey Spiral Design

Communion is the fourth poetry collection by North Carolina poet Grey Brown. A deeply personal and reflective work, Communion explores the intricate bonds that shape our lives—family, community, and, ultimately, our relationship with ourselves.

The heart of Communion is relationship. The collection opens in a child's voice, layered with adult reflection, and traces an arc from childhood memories in a dysfunctional family through motherhood, oppression, grief, mental health struggles, and the realities of aging.

“At its core, Communion is about connection,” Brown said. “It’s about how we are shaped by our families and communities—and how we come to understand ourselves through those bonds.”

In its final section, the collection addresses contemporary mental health challenges—the stigma, gaps in care, and the lived experience of neurological differences—offering both testimony and affirmation. “I wanted to give voice to experiences that are often misunderstood or silenced,” Brown said. “There is pain, yes—but there is also insight, creativity, and strength in living with neurological differences.”

Communion will resonate with readers who appreciate narrative poetry, especially those who share the experience of neurological differences, either personally or as caregivers.