in which Demeter refuses Zeus by Amy Lin (New Jersey, 15)

Brother, how dare you order me to stop           to tuck my wrath
away like a silk glove in a pocket

when my child is painted with fingerprints      cold lips
blood-red         shoved down her throat.

you order your sister    but not your brother
to give my daughter     her stolen life

Brother, count the screams       of maidens you have heard today--
they are virgins           no more.

we are not jewels        not sculptures to be claimed
buried away underground.

Brother, if they call me a villain—let them.

let them starve             let them plead
know   what it feels to be a woman      in this world.



​Amy Lin (she/her) is a fifteen-year-old Chinese-American writer from New Jersey. When she is not writing, you can find her enjoying word puzzles, painting, and eating home-cooked meals. Her poems are forthcoming in Rust & Moth and The Serulian. You can also find her on Twitter @amylwrites