pricks splice needles
my legs split open,
On the cold table
blood, I offer up
unlocks struggles,
rugged from within, the placenta
I push hard, my daughter comes
Scar, writhe, ravaged rampart,
hackled combat
contracts under the scalpel
shot in the back
take this labor
buck and beg
rhythmic bursts, I curse
my breath, shackles-
Captures enraptures me
Captures, enraptures, me
my breath shackles
rhythmic bursts I curse
buck and beg
shot in the back
take this labor,
hackled combat
contracts under the scalpel
Scar, writhe, ravaged rampart,
I push, hard my daughter comes
from within, the placenta
unlocks struggle’s rugged
blood, I offer up-
my legs split open,
on the cold table
pricks splice needles
I’m going to keep my baby.
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
