Trauma is that knot in my body
a second heartbeat
a secret frequency
Oh God Oh God
he threatens to kill me

Misleading me with debunked
entropy, a theory that I read-
while my baby clings to me
I can’t sleep
I think of ways to leave
Oh God Oh God
he’s going to kill me

I make plans to runaway
from the fist of taxing tyranny—
--but-my-nerve-- endings brash
digging-into-me & mining-
me- I ask for it, disaster snaps
a mallet & cymbal clash
I can’t sleep, I can’t sleep
Oh God will he kill me?

Oh let him! over and over again!
twist the sinew of my soul
I am his little treasure trove
he buys me 18 karat gold My heart a wasp’s nest, spun
from tiny wood-bits woven in layer
upon layer, lantern-like, ash-grey
My heart a wasp’s nest, spun
vested onto branches, to savor
over winter, palpable, waver
My heart a wasp’s nest, spun
tiny, wood-bits into woven layers


Pamela Gemme is a poet, artist, political activist, and a child protection social work consultant from Massachusetts Recent or forthcoming publications include The American Journal of Poetry, Haiku Journal, The Chicago Quarterly Review, Heliotrope Anthology, J Journal, SoFloPoJo, Eclipse Literary Journal and many others. Pamela co-edited Essential Voices Anthology forthcoming from Borderless books in 2023