Courage: Daring Poems For Gutsy Girls
Letter From the Editors............................................................................ 17
Made of Lightning
On Body and Identity
ESTE PHANIA by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz....................................................................21
SHOUL DA BEEN JIMI SA VANNAH
by Patricia Smith.............................................................................................................. 23
WHEN TIP DRILL COMES ON AT THE FRAT PARTY OR,
WHEN REFUSING TO TWERK IS A RADICAL FORM OF SELF-LOVE
by Fatimah Asghar. .......................................................................................................25
I SING THE BODY ELE CTRI C, ES PECIALLY WHEN MY POWER ’S OUT
by Andrea Gibson......................................................................................................... 26
BLA CK GIRL FROM BEVERLY EN COUNTERS THE MESSY BUN
by Jamila Woods........................................................................................................... 30
TH E LAST SPELL OF THE SEA WIT CH
by Karen Finneyfrock ........................................................................................................31
PRI VATE PARTS
by Sarah Kay................................................................................................................ 32
ON A MIS SION TRI P TO PHILA DEL PHIA I BEGIN
TO FEAR THE INSI DE OF MY BODY
by Traci Brimhall............................................................................................................ 34
13
by Aracelis Girmay.......................................................................................36
The Hurricane Sermons
On Endurance and Truths
AMET HYST RO CKSTAR
by Sara Brickman...........................................................................................................39
7 THINGS I NEVER TOL D MY OL DER SISTER , BECAUSE I KNOW
BETTER , IN REVERSE CHRONOLOGI CAL OR DER
by Mindy Nettifee.........................................................................................................41
SYNONYMS FOR COURAGE (IN THE KEY OF BIPOLAR )
by Shira Erlichman.........................................................................................................42
LOVE THY NEIGH BOR
by Gypsee Yo (Jonida Beqo)...........................................................................................44
A LETTER TO THE PLAYGROUN D BULLY , FROM ANDREA , AGE 8 ½
by Andrea Gibson...........................................................................................................48
THE THING I SAI D THAT DURING GYM
by Shaney Jean Maney.....................................................................................................52
THELMA TO DD
by Amber Tamblyn..........................................................................................................53
FORE ST FIRES
by Sarah Kay.................................................................................................................56
For Teeth
On Power and Protection
UNA ORA CIÓN
by Rachel McKibb ens......................................................................................................61
JESSI CA
by Gypsee Yo (Jonida Beqo).............................................................................................62
THE FIRST TIME I HIT A BOY
by Mindy Nettifee............................................................................................................64
MY GIRLS
by Hollis Wong-Wear.....................................................................................................65
SOUTH AMERI CA ADDRESSES HER LATEST CONQUISTA DOR
by April Ranger.............................................................................................................68
.
POE M FOR REPELLING GHOSTS
by Karen Finneyfrock........................................................................................................70
DECEMBER
by Erica Miriam Fabri.......................................................................................................71
SWAR M
by Jeanann Verlee...........................................................................................................73
IN CAS E YOU EVER NEED IT , IT IS HERE
by Daphne Gottlieb........................................................................................................ 74
How to Eat Sugarcane
On Love and Loss
THE CRUSH
by Karen Finneyfrock.....................................................................................................79
REMEMBERING THE NIGHT WE MET
by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz...........................................................................................80
FOR MY CHIL DHOO D BEST FRI END, BEFORE SHE LOSES HER
VIRGINITY IN THE BALCONY OF OUR HIGH -SCHOOL THEATER
WHEN WE ARE 14: A ONE SI DED BALCONY SCENE
by Sara Brickman.............................................................................................................81
THE WIL D DIVINE
by Ada Limón..............................................................................................................83
IF MY LOVE FOR YOU WERE AN ANIMAL
by Jennifer L. Knox........................................................................................................84
THE FIRST
by Shira Erlichman.........................................................................................................85
1943
by Jessica Helen Lopez...................................................................................................86
ARE ALL THE BREA K-UPS IN YOUR POEMS REAL ?
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil..............................................................................................90
From the Echo Chamber
On Being and Becoming
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A WOMAN
by Sonya Renee..........................................................................................................93
13 WAY S OF LOOKING AT 13
by Patricia Smith...........................................................................................................94
A POEM FOR MY BREASTS
by Jessica Helen Lopez.................................................................................................99
THE WAI TING ROOM OF THE GYN
by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz...................................................................................... 100
FIRST BLOOD AFTER
by Franny Choi......................................................................................................... 101
ECLIPSE
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil........................................................................................... 102
COUN T
by Rachel McKibb ens................................................................................................. 103
AU BADE WITH A BRO KEN NECK
by Traci Brimhall....................................................................................................... 104
Bloodline
On Family and Faith
ON LIVING
by Aracelis Girmay.................................................................................................... 107
DEAR MOM
by Fatimah Asghar....................................................................................................... 108
MOT HER IN GREY SCALE
by Denise Jolly........................................................................................................... 110
THE TOO TH FAIRY
by Dorianne Laux......................................................................................................... 111
DEEPER THAN DIRT
by Rachel McKibb ens................................................................................................... 113
A FAITH LIKE YOURS
by Mayda Del Valle..................................................................................................... 114
THE FIDELITY OF CALENDARS
by Marty McConnell.................................................................................................... 117
.
POE M FOR AIMEE ROSE
by April Ranger........................................................................................................... 119
Mirror Anthems
On Esteem and Exposure
THE FIDELITY OF SEEKING
by Marty McConnell....................................................................................................123
ETY MOLOGY OF THE BEAUTY SHO P
by Jamila Woods...........................................................................................................125
PRET TY
by Shaney Jean Maney...................................................................................................128
ALLIANCE
by Patricia Smith............................................................................................. ….......... 131
WHAT IT ’S LIKE FOR A BROWN GIRL
by Jessica Helen Lopez....................................................................................................133
………
FIRE FLY
by Sara Brickman...........................................................................................................136
.
THE AUDITION
by Amber Tamblyn........................................................................................................138
ON WIT HDRAWING
by Franny Choi............................................................................................................ 140
BLOOM
by Tara Hardy............................................................................................................. 141
The Wild Language of Stars
On Healing and Living
DAUGHTER
by Brynn Saito............................................................................................................ 145
DIS CIPLE
by Mindy Nettifee........................................................................................................ 147
THE SAVING TREE
by Ada Limón............................................................................................................. 149
I’M NO T REA DY TO DIE YET
by Aracelis Girmay...................................................................................................... 150
OKLAHOMA
by Jan Richman.......................................................................................................... 153
THE NUTRITIONIST
by Andrea Gibson....................................................................................................... 154
MY, MY, MY, MY, MY
by Tara Hardy............................................................................................................ 158
GIRL WITH RED BICYCLE
by Gypsee Yo (Jonida Beqo)......................................................................................... 160
GET MORE COURAGE ................................................................................... 161
ABOU T THE AUTHORS ................................................................................. 163
NOTES AND ACKNOWLE DGEMENTS ........................................................ 179