from the lover who spoke
in sciences
and the languor
of bed sheets
from the hubris
of ballet
and handing out
exact change from registers
from the night I watched
my neighbor’s house burn
and thought of a dollhouse
from catastrophes like 9/11
and pearl harbor
from knots in my hair
that refuse to unfurl
from unwatered houseplants
that somehow survive
and terminally ill patients
that won’t outlive the houseplants
from good poetry
and bad poetry
from the surprise of
an unsteady hand’s touch
from uneven breasts
and hooked kneecaps

Daryl Sznyter received her MFA in poetry from The New School. Previous and forthcoming publications include The American Journal of Poetry, Poet Lore, Gravel, Bop Dead City, WomenArts Quarterly, Third Wednesday, Best American Poetry Blog, and others. She currently resides in Pennsylvania.