SWWIM sustains and celebrates women poets by connecting creatives across generations and by curating a living archive of contemporary poetry, while solidifying Miami as a nexus for the literary arts.
She has a home, A beautiful home, Inhumed on the pages Where she draws—
She was never good at history, So we recreate our own Laced in paint, Like on a cave, In various colors.
There are rocks in my blood To be unearthed, Martial secrets Stowed inside her kidneys That can only come out in a lie. We can’t lie to each other. Instead, we settle for truth.
And this, right here, is my truth: She is lawful, and that scares me. What’s more, she senses the chickens Poking fun at my marrow with their beaks, Giving my shadow room to breathe, A chance to escape.
She sees the other girls Who’ve left me alone in bed, The men who’ve forced me To stay in theirs. She sees that I feel unlovable, Undeserving of her crafts.
She picks up a pencil, She sees me, still, And continues to draw.
The woman on the page is strong, Virtuous as a helmet. There is aftermath that’s not my fault— I am standing tall, but that’s not The real focus.
There are walls behind me, Two arms, and a roof. There is nothing holding it up. We are all free-standing structures.
This home, it is beautiful. She made it just for me. This may be just a story, But it’s one she tells Until it's our truth.
Anastasia Jill (she/they) is a queer writer living in Central Florida. She has been nominated for Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize, and several other honors. Her work has been featured or is upcoming with Poets.org, Sundog Lit, Pithead Chapel, Contemporary Verse 2, OxMag, Broken Pencil, and more. Follow her on Instagram @anastasiajillies.
Anastasia Jill is a queer poet, fiction writer, and aspiring filmmaker. Her work has been published or is upcoming with Poets.org, Lunch Ticket, FIVE:2:ONE, Ambit Magazine, apt, Into the Void Magazine, 2River, Requited Journal, and more.