My Poetry Journal is Not Quite a Grimoire

Women once kept journals 
that led them to the gallows 
and the stake, condemned 

by words and the fear 
of the knowledge they longed 
to leave for future generations. 

These pages hold 
my secret truths 
my history, handwritten 

for an unknown audience. 
They may not come for me 
with pitchforks or nooses 

but the weight of their 
judgment lingers, racing 
across my skin like fire.

---

Gabby Gilliam

Gabby Gilliam lives in the DC metro area. Her poetry has most recently appeared in Tofu Ink Arts Press, Tempered Runes Press, Cauldron Anthology, and the anthology “Medusa Rises” from Mythos Poets Society. You can find her online at gabbygilliam.squarespace.com.