Jemma Leigh Roe

Cosmogony

Between
pneuma and ovary
the memory of breathlessness 
kneaded into my chest, and the
habituation of barrenness birdlimed
my abdomen. Resuscitation came from 
bees, who whispered secrets. A chela swam
through my estuaries and ate the plump fruit 
that softened in the sun, answering my 
prayer never to hunger for closeness. 
Gathering what was good after 
firestorm and flood, together 
we made our home.

Jemma Leigh Roe has poems and artwork published or forthcoming in The Journal, Fugue, Iron Horse Literary Review, Lunch Ticket, Permafrost, EcoTheo Review, and others. She received a PhD in Romance languages and literatures from Princeton University. www.jemmaleighroe.com