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Lily Rohm Poem
I am his.
His gnarled hands around my throat.
Grasping,
shaking,
pulling me towards him.
I will forever be his.
The screaming is drowned out only by the ringing in my ears,
like bees buzzing in my brain.
I am his.
as the air leaves my lungs,
I am pulled.
not by him,
by something deep within me.
Fight or flight?
Fight or flight?
For the first time,
I chose to fight.
I push,
as hard as my small,
frail,
oxygen depleted body could manage,
I push.
As he falls,
slamming into the old oak dresser behind him,
I am sure-
I AM MINE.
Copyright © Lily Rohm | Year Posted 2026
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Lily Rohm Poem
I sleep in my grandmother’s bed.
I don’t like it,
her snores echoing in my brain.
Stealing my sleep.
I wonder why she won’t let me have my own room.
As I ponder this question,
I hear it-
tap, tap.
tap, tap.
Echoing down the hallway.
The rhythm creating dissonance with the pounding of my heartbeat,
growing faster and faster,
his footsteps growing closer.
The clicking of a flashlight-
it’s him.
Why?
The cold, harsh light hits my face.
He looks disappointed.
Tap, tap.
tap, tap.
As the echo grows softer,
I am grateful,
That I don’t have my own room.
Copyright © Lily Rohm | Year Posted 2026
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Lily Rohm Poem
Swerving.
Jerking.
Careening,
from one end of the winding road to the other.
I am in the drivers seat,
but my hands are bound.
He is jerking the wheel,
back and forth,
laughing.
Telling me i can never steer.
I pull at the bindings around my hands,
it is no use.
They are too tight.
I contemplate,
letting him control the car.
Suddenly,
I am in action.
I grip the wheel,
steering,
though still my hands are bound.
I find control,
I take it.
It is mine.
The road twists,
turns.
I turn with it.
I turn the music up,
drowning out his voice.
I bat his hands away from the wheel.
As i listen to the music,
I notice-
his voice is no longer there,
his hands,
no longer fighting for the wheel.
I find peace in the knowing.
That i am in the drivers seat.
My hands,
no longer bound.
My mind,
no longer haunted by his words.
The voice in my head,
for the first time,
mine.
Copyright © Lily Rohm | Year Posted 2026
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Details |
Lily Rohm Poem
She wraps her arms around me.
We are sitting on that couch,
surrounded by green and orange.
She envelops me in a I've never felt before.
As the TV echoes in the background,
I start to fall.
Eyes closing,
heart opening.
I wake to the sound of her snores.
Realization sends shockwaves through my body.
I have never been able to sleep,
this closely,
this soundly,
this safely,
with anyone before.
No panic,
no searching for footsteps that would never come.
I feel safe.
I am home.
Home was never a structure-
I’ve found a home in her.
Copyright © Lily Rohm | Year Posted 2026
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Details |
Lily Rohm Poem
I am in the passenger seat.
He is driving.
One hand gripping my thigh,
the other,
the wheel.
The radio is off.
The silence settles between us.
I cannot speak-
for fear of his grip tightening.
The road curves.
I grip the handle,
silently wondering if he will curve with it.
He does.
As my breathing slows,
he laughs.
You don’t even know where we are,
do you?
You haven’t kept your eyes on the road,
though my eyes have been locked on the windshield since we left.
I do not answer,
for fear of his grip tightening.
I nod,
for I will never grow big enough,
to sit in the drivers seat.
Copyright © Lily Rohm | Year Posted 2026
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