She says, This is what I want, and the embassy
coughs us out like questions. There is traffic
and the sound of bells.
I can see her death waiting in deep pools
of collarbone. Her smile is a hook
in my skin or a kind of marriage.
I leave her, return to my blank room
where the moon comes out like faith—cool
and distant and changing its shape.
I escape her like a mine
I fear will collapse. My hope
is dusted off and still.
Yes, this is what I want, she says, and her words
float in air like ash
or a song.
Jennifer Manthey's poems have been published in places such as Best New Poets 2019, Calyx Journal, Prairie Schooner, Crab Orchard Review, Palette, and Tinderbox Poetry Review. She lives in Minneapolis and teaches occasional writing classes at The Loft Literary Center.