Survivor Story
No Amount of Prison
I always thought
I wanted you
sent to prison
until I learned
that rarely happens,
girls lie. Their words
can’t be trusted.
I never thought
I would find you
until I found
your face
unblinking
on LinkedIn.
I learned
it was too late
to report you.
But later,
the law changed,
I had another chance
to tell a judge
what 20-year-old you
did to 13-year-old me.
I realized
I was a girl
but also a kid.
I might be
believed.
This time.
But by then I knew
no amount of prison
will give me back
what you took from me
or change you
or heal me.
- J. Palmer, she/they
J. Palmer writes poetry, creative non-fiction, picture books, radical love notes, and academic journal articles. She spends her time as an activist, parent, writer, and professor. J.'s poems, creative non-fiction, and children's books focus on themes such as resilience, resistance, healing, grief, loss, and queer joy.
