It's #tbt! Enjoy this great one from SWWIM Every Day's archives!
I saw a mother open her mouth and eat The doll whole That woman was not (me) And I saw the man who was her father He put the baby in her but he was not (me) All the ones I do not see I saw someone’s daughter claw the leeches from her vagina That girl was not (me) And I was not the doctor who opened her Swam those fuckers in and then went To supper All the ones I do not see I saw the widow who sat before the mirror But that woman was not (me) I saw the son who admitted her and heard him plea She does nothing but primp and deplore her condition But he was not me All the ones I do not see In asylum They call to me
Tina Parker is the author of three books of poetry, most recently Lock Her Up published by Accents Publishing in 2021. She is grateful to the editors of SWWIM for publishing "All the Ones I Do Not See" when Lock Her Up, which conveys the untold stories of women committed to mental asylums, was just a twinkle in her eye. Tina grew up in Bristol, Virginia, and she is a long-time Kentucky resident. To learn more about her work, follow her on Instagram @tetched_poet.
See you at AWP!
2/7 / Meet the Artist with visiting poet-in-residence Farnaz Fatemi / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 6:00 pm EST / Free
2/7 / Poetry Reading with visiting poet-in-residence Farnaz Fatemi + local writer Fabienne Josaphat / The Library at The Betsy-South Beach, Miami Beach, FL / Live and Live-Streamed on Instagram Live/Facebook Live at @swwimmiami / 7:30 pm EST / Free
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