The bullets you lob
at me bounce
off my field of impenetrability.
Day by day
the layers of fat
under my skin
become my armor,
necessary
to protect me
from a world
inspired with hate
for anything other —
odd, weird, different unusual —
not dimensional
enough to fit into
an overhead bin inside
the forehead. Their punches
bounce off
my body armor absorbing
the impact, wiggling, reverberating
inside.
Phyllis Hemann grew up reading and telling stories. As a child, she scribbled poems with crayons. Now she writes her own for children and adults. She holds a M.F.A. from Antioch University Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in newspapers, journals and anthologies. She is the author of THE INVISIBLE HEROINE (Finishing Line Press). She lives in Arkansas with her family and their goofy dog. Find her online @phyllishemann and phyllishemann.com.