domestic abuse – FEMININE COLLECTIVE

Ribbed

July 31, 2023July 31, 2023 Angela Townsend

You may be able to count my ribs. If we press through the fat to count yours, not one will be missing. I gave it back. I gave them all back: the rib, the ribs, the ring, the ringing in my ears. I would have given Eden to be your Read more

Richard’s Mummy

February 6, 2023February 6, 2023 Judith Staff

Richard isn’t at school today. He wasn’t there yesterday, either. When I get home, my mother seems sad. She crouches, looking into my eyes with hers. “Richard’s Mummy is – “ My mother has tears now. I don’t ask her why, I wait. I feel uncomfortable. “Richard hasn’t got a Read more

a list of things that are yellow

August 22, 2022August 22, 2022 Anne Leigh Parrish

sunlight egg yolk daffodils a rare diamond amber anything not alive our house a sickly skin tone bruises the car you owned when we met butter lemons fallen leaves pineapples the tie you tried to strangle me with the straw in the ice water they gave me to drink at Read more

My Body, My Choice

May 29, 2019May 29, 2019 Jacqueline Cioffa

Dear God, I haven’t been talking to you much. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. I lost my faith for a long while. I lost myself, too. I forgot I was your perfect creation. I forgot the privilege it is to be female. I forgot I was able to Read more

Caught

February 4, 2019May 7, 2019 Jordan Hagedon

I do not know if I should cut my hair. It is very long. Some people call it obscenely long. It’s the color of wheat, and very often air dried so that it falls in irregular waves down to just above my thighs. When I brush it, the brush seems Read more

Beige Violence

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 Samantha Rose

this abuse didn’t come in black and blue. his fists never ricocheted off her veins as they spiderwebbed into plum colored welts, blood never bloomed crimson peonies from the corners of her mouth or rooted between the cracks in her teeth. but I saw him feast behind her wooden ribs Read more

Why Did You Kill My Sister?

December 10, 2017May 7, 2019 Kim Sisto Robinson

“To rise, first you must burn.” ― Hiba Fatima Ahmad Dear Mike, When you were alive, I never quite knew the day of your birthday. Kay had to inform me the day you were born–“Oh, did you know it’s Mike’s birthday today? I’m having cake and ice-cream later on. Pleeeeease Read more

Free Bird

August 11, 2017May 7, 2019 Kim Sisto Robinson

He had already locked the front door so she couldn’t escape, couldn’t open her cage.
Perhaps he uttered a prayer to whomever murderers utter prayers too. Perhaps he gave last rights to himself, took communion, had a last meal, said goodbye to his mother, brother, sister, children, the cats.