patriarchal residue

I suffer from historical hysteria
sponsored by men who explored
and discovered
the wandering uterus
which means I need an orgasm

to control my outbursts
my vagina is a sheath for a sword
my clitoris should be hidden from view
with this, I can’t be trusted
this is why I need to be controlled
I am dirty with residue

sew me up stitch code so I am clean
and faithful
remove my uterus and implant it in
my husband, I can’t be trusted to carry
remove my breasts with their milk glands
I can’t be trusted to feed

remove my ovaries and their unborn half babies
give them to the rich for implantation
remove my soul for sacrifice to god
of the first world

give me the death
I need to have

Amanda J. Forrester received her MFA from the University of Tampa.  Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Indolent Books’ What Rough Beast, Collective Unrest, the Sandhill Review, and Indie Blu(e) Publishing’s anthology We Will Not Be Silenced.  She serves on the executive board of YellowJacket Press and snuggles with her fur babies when she isn’t working long hours as a data analyst at Saint Leo University.  Follow her on Twitter @ajforrester75.