“i can hear your smile today,”
he said to me this morning
this man, who makes me feel seen, whole, female

i feel that way without a man, too,
but isn’t it so nice to know
that someone out there is listening

You watch
as I navigate
my confection
Tongue, swirling
Taking in 
all the sweetness
my fingers grasping 
the cone, 
as my other hand, 
brushes away 
a strand of hair 
from 
my mouth.

Her excitement upon spying the Wonder Woman skirt was enough 
But when she noticed the nail polish, too, her glee spilled over
Into my heart.

Spring and summer and fall
Have passed before me 
like the slowest moving train

I sit at the crossing 
anticipate the all clear 
I’ve never felt so old

The radio plays only static
The window breaths only stillness
I read the thermometer and wait

What if?
[We all]
Drove a Subaru?
Studied the Torah?
Ate vegan cheese?
Prayed 4x a day?
What if:
[We all]
Loved our collards?
Read the Constitution?
Got on our knees?
Asked, Como estas?
What if:
Race and religion 
were as fluid as gender?
What if kindness and compassion 
were all that was taught?
Where would that take us?
What elevation! 
Humans,
Being, 
Human,
Not humans,
Being bought.
What if
We cared for our brothers,
Regardless of color?
Raised up our sisters,
Regardless of size?
What if?
We taught all our children 
We’re one and the same!
We can weep in collective,
Remember our names!
What if?
This world we’ve been granted 
Could reach out and teach us
Arm in arm, not versus,
Is how we’ll survive?

That house wasn’t mine,
I borrowed it for a while,
from a friend.
Well, she wasn’t my friend, 
Just some lady from Craigslist.
A furnished sublet.
Meant to be temporary
The closets were huge 
There was space 
for contemplation.
I decided to stay.
while my marriage unravelled
And my wings unfurled.
I didn’t have to buy a thing, 
Not even a can opener.
There were two cows on the wall
with hooks for coats
They made me laugh.
So much more than I had before. 
In the house that was mine.

Sept. 5, 2020