Christine Garren, “First Love,” Among the Monarchs
Text ID: I took everything off. Sometime in February. For him. For myself. / Snow was on the cement border around the pool / and on the tennis court that was one caged square of dust. / But he, he was like a dense jetty / with a silver east wall of air. Then, he was like / a concussion that I woke up from / but woke up differently. Smaller, a little ruined. For years / unable to speak.