I hadn’t realized a man could slice me open.
Mid-sentence I cut my boyfriend off, started walking
home along the causeway. Leggy and tanned,
I didn’t have to put up with a damn thing.
Mid-sentence I cut my boyfriend off, started walking
in the dark. His car pulled up. Get in.
I didn’t have to put up with a damn thing,
thrust my chin out and kept walking. Get lost!
In the dark another car pulled up.
A beater with three men. Want a ride?
I thrust my chin out and kept walking. No thanks.
The air swelled with the smell of ripening pears.
A beater with three men. Want a ride?
They eased out of the car. I backed away.
The air swelled with the smell of ripening pears.
I looked for cover—marsh grass, river.
They eased out of the car. I backed away.
Muck soaked my sandals, wicked up my jeans.
I looked for cover— marsh grass, river,
forgot my fear of gators and water moccasins.
Muck soaked my sandals, wicked up my jeans.
Boots snapped the gravel. Where is the little bitch?
I forgot my fear of gators and water moccasins.
A voice nearby: Anyone got a flashlight?
Boots snapped the gravel. Where is the little bitch?
I even wished my boyfriend would come back.
A voice nearby: Forget the flashlight! Let’s go.
I couldn’t move, afraid it was a trick.
I even wished my boyfriend would come back.
Car lights blurred and bled along the causeway.
I couldn’t move, afraid it was a trick,
then stumbled to my feet and started walking.
Car lights blurred and bled along the causeway.
I stayed far off the road, watched for brake lights,
stumbled over fire ant hills. I kept walking.
I might not ever leave my house again.
I stayed far off the road, watched for brake lights
all along the causeway. Leggy and tanned,
I might not ever leave my house again.
I hadn’t realized a man could slice me open.
Excerpted from GRABBED: Poets and Writers Respond to Sexual Assault, Empowerment & Healing by permission of the author and Beacon Press.
Terry Godbey has published four poetry collections: Hold Still, finalist for the Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award; Beauty Lessons, winner of the Quercus Review Poetry Book Award; Behind Every Door, winner of the Slipstream Poetry Chapbook Contest; and Flame. A winner of the Rita Dove Poetry Award, she has also published more than 150 poems in literary magazines including Rattle, Poet Lore, Dogwood, CALYX, Crab Creek Review and The Florida Review. She is a travel and nature photographer who wanders in the woods every chance she gets. See more of her writing and photos at www.terrygodbey.com.
SWWIM Every Day is proud to present poems by women-identifying poets appearing at Miami Dade College’s 2020 Miami Book Fair.
Miami Dade College’s 2020 Miami Book Fair will host over 200+ authors from all over the world in conversation, in readings, in storytelling, all virtual, all safe, all unique, and all FREE between Nov. 15-22. Reading from their new work will be Diane Louie, Nikky Finney, Heid Erdrich, Jane Hirshfield, Danez Smith, Kazim Ali, John Murillo, Jen Karetnick, Jorie Graham, Kevin Young, among many others. And in conversation with Miami’s own Campbell McGrath will be these poets laureate: Robert Hass, Juan Felipe Herrera, Joy Harjo, among others. Access to Miami Book Fair 2020 is free. For more information and to register please visit MiamiBookFaironline.com. Follow Miami Book Fair @miamibookfair, #MiamiBookFair2020 #MBF2020 #MiamiBookFairOnline.
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