Amy Ballard Rich

Amy Ballard Rich

Amy Ballard Rich is a retired preschool teacher, living in Berkeley, CA.  When not writing she can be found hugging both trees and her chosen family.  She is still waiting for her attempts to smash patriarchy to bear fruit.

"Silver Linings" and "If I Had Known Then"

no man on earth,
no matter how large and strong he is
is able to slowly suffocate me
by taking over my lungs from the inside,
the way the disease inside of me can

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"Flaming Scarves" and "This Is Not the Shallow End"

I am awake late,
watching a screen in awe,
as courageous women
throw their head scarves into flames

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Imaginary Conversation (I Chickened Out) In The Bathroom of Mac's Bar With A Biker Chick (Who I Actually Did See)

"Great band", I told her as I dried my hands.
I was lying, as they were a horrendous
country rock garage band
trying to masquerade as a blues band
in the very white small city
​of Eugene, Oregon.

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