Even in California
all of my friends require touch
to get through winter.
It’s true, I am waiting to be in love
in front of the people I love.
He says, I’m glad you’re here
& I want to cover his mouth
to warm my hands.
Of course I understand
how one would mistake
that earthquake for a passing train
but what do we do with the stillness
when after great change
nothing moves, but his hand
sliding a glass of wine
across the table
instructing me to drink
with a single nod.
I bring the glass to my face
but don’t let a drop pass my lips.
Beside him, I am almost somewhere
I’d like to be for a while.
To make him smile
I tell him I am bad at sex.
To make him kiss me
I tell him when I’m happy
I go looking for things
I haven’t lost yet.
Copyright © 2022 by Hieu Minh Nguyen. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 3, 2022, by the Academy of American Poets.