ALIVE

Newspaper clippings of dead women. Cunt. Pleading letters. A promise to be good. Better. Whore. Articles: Abusive spouse, women who stayed. When her sons asks. Whore. Murdered women on the page. In case of emergency. Dial 911. He will kill you. Bitch. Her son asks. Did you love him? Knife in her car. Bat next to bed. Did he visit me? Restraining order. Bullet holes. Stop. Breathe. Yes. Why would you be with him? Whore. When her son asks. She lies. Shaking in terror, in rage. Knife in her car. Bat next to bed. Just in case. 911. Press send. A promise to be good. Better. Counseling for battered women. Cunt. Newspaper clippings of dead women. Restraining order. Headline: Bitch. Headline: Abusive spouse. Headline: Woman slayed. 911. Help. In case of emergency. In case he came to kill her. Letters pleading apologies. A promise to be good. Better. Knife in her car. Bat next to bed. A promise. Listen. He will kill you. Listen. Women who stayed. Bat in her hand. Bitch. Call 911. Cunt. Bat high. Knuckles clenched. Dead women. Around cold metal. Alert. Whore. Swing. Swing hard. Alive. When her son asks Did he visit me? She says yes. She lies. Liar. Liar. Whore.

Chelsea Palermo is a poet, musician, and artist. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Drew University. In addition, Palermo is an Usui Reiki Master, Somatic Attachment Practitioner, Sacred Awakenings Akashic Records Reader & more. She incorporates her multimodal healing practices in her work as a Transformational Writing Guide. Palermo was nominated for Poet Laureate of Asbury Park, NJ, and has hosted numerous events in her community including Underground Poets, Poetry & Jazz Jams, WaterWitch Poetry & Writing Series, and others, through her arts organization the Ministry of Artistic Intent. Her poems have been published in various magazines including This Broken Shore, Soup Can Magazine, Lamplighter & more. When not immersed in all of the above, Palermo instructs as an adjunct English Professor. Learn more here: www.chelseapalermo.com.