The Women’s Anaphora

grab your own hand for no reason at all / grab history by the collar, before it flushes down the toilet

Artwork by Candice Evers 
grab ‘em by the pussy
grab the last speck of butter when he’s looking
grab the keys, the telfar, the travel spray
grab your grandmother’s voice, promise it redemption
grab the umbilical cord and braid it into a rope of codependency
grab the the bloodline, the matriarchs, the colonized Nile
grab the overtime and reap demotion
grab a friend’s hand during the D&C
grab your own hand for no reason at all
grab history by the collar, before it flushes down the toilet
grab the hurled insults, wear ‘em like a brooch
grab the zamzam water with a cleansed heart
grab your looming shadow and salsa away in the hallway
grab the catcalls and scruff ‘em
grab your father and never let go
grab the hijab and solemnly beck to the call of prayer
grab the pen, the rape allegations, the burning pages
grab it all until—

Shams Alkamil

Shams Alkamil is a Sudanese-American poet, educator, and copywriter based in Texas. Her writing is shaped by her Sudanese heritage and focuses on themes of Black identity, maternal lineage, spirituality, grief, and political commentary. She is the author of When Time is Circular (Broadstone Books, 2024) and a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee. Shams’ work has appeared internationally in Rowayat, Mizna, Four Way Review, Ghost City Press, Qafiyah Review, The Ana, Kalahari Review, Torch Literary Arts, Ruth Weiss Foundation, Tofu Ink Arts Press, and more. In 2025, she was shortlisted as a finalist for Sundress Publications' Light Bill Incubator Microgrant. Her third book, I Who Have Always Felt Words (Central Avenue Books, 2026), will be available soon.

Candice Evers

I’m Candice Evers, a St. Louis-based illustrator with an MFA in Illustration and Visual Culture from Washington University in St. Louis and a graduate of Wellesley College. I live with my two smedium-sized dogs, Indy (pictured left) and Junie B.