Alumnae Poets

Jane Palmer '00

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Jane Palmer is a professor, community-based researcher, activist, and part-time M.F.A. in creative writing student at American University in Washington, D.C. She writes poetry, creative non-fiction, picture books, and academic journal articles. In 2022, she was selected for a We Need Diverse Books mentorship for her picture book on the power of nature when navigating grief. She is currently dreaming of—and working toward—a world without violence. Twitter: @jane_e_palmer.

Select Poems

How does it feel
to walk down the street,
confident no one will harm you
to be in a crowded space and
not scan for all possible exits
to let down your guard and
invite love over to stay.

Fight, flight, or freeze,
asks the therapist.
I say I fight
because the truth
is more complicated and
I no longer want to be the me
that freezes or flees.

How is your sleep,
asks the doctor.
Fine, I say.
Because when I sleep
I dream of wild worlds
where I fight dragons
and win.

I wake up unrested, but accomplished
I start my day ready to conquer any challenge
ready to invite you over to stay
without worrying about exits
or dragons.

Published in Moveable Type Issue #10, March 2022