Too young for instruction, she must have heard
so many say it, ritually, so she
amplified her breath to address,
& it’s not the revelation that she could
have said bonjour, bonum mane, bom dia, or buenos dias.

More than the beautiful variation, it’s the pure
exhalation of what could have been anything.
She could have said anything,
& it would have been a good envelope
for the spirit she opened.

Max Heinegg’s poems have been nominated for Best of the Net, and The Pushcart Prize. He’s been a finalist for the poetry prizes of Crab Creek Review, December Magazine, Cultural Weekly, Cutthroat, Rougarou, Asheville Poetry Review, and the Nazim Hikmet prize. Additionally, he’s a singer-songwriter and recording artist whose records can be heard at www.maxheinegg.com.