When a Woman Reaches Supernova, by Gabby Gilliam

La Toilette Inutile, by Leonor Fini (Argentina) 1964

When a Woman Reaches Supernova

Pressure-squeezed 
into the tiny space 
the world allows 

the weight of labels 
crushing from all sides 

her nuclear core burns 
a new pressure builds 
resists the gravity of expectation 

her fury consumes her fuel too quickly 
tips the balance of that gravity and her fire 
until she collapses 

her surface reaches event horizon 
time stands still 
gravity’s influence eclipses her completely 

not even light can escape.

Gabby Gilliam

Gabby Gilliam lives in the DC metro area. Her poetry has most recently appeared in Tofu Ink, The Ekphrastic Review, Cauldron Anthology, Instant Noodles, MacQueen’s Quinterly, and three anthologies from Mythos Poets Society. You can find her online at gabbygilliam.squarespace.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GabbyGilliamAuthor.