Ann M Lawrence

Am I a Woman

Power tools in the dining room, knitting needles
in the bedroom. Did my voice catch
when I responded to your insult,
what kind of woman am I? Did I threaten
your femininity with the calluses
on my hands and chipped polish
on my finger nails? I was not threatened
by your immaculate home, perfect parenting,
polished children. The thin coating of sawdust
on my skin and wood chips in my hair
does not diminish your powdered cheeks
or your smooth curls.



Ann M Lawrence is a graduate of Knox College with a bachelor’s in creative writing and a master’s in school counseling. She lives in her hometown of Homewood, Illinois, with her husband and son. She has been previously published in Catch, The Poet, Caustic Frolic, and Tigershark magazines. She is very interested in objects and what we decide to leave behind and what holds meaning for us.