Deliberate Drowning of the Shallow Kind

by Francesca Aspromonte

I saw myself through your eyes

Just so

Through the vintage mirror from the neighbor’s garage sale we bought last Autumn

The month they divorced and moved away

The month the tree died in our front yard and was condemned

The month we won twenty dollars from scratch-offs

Reflection, foggy from the shower

Slow

Deliberate

Drowning

Considering the source of sight, I chose not to look again

Shallow

Water up my nose

Taste of white-out and rubber erasers

This is me through your eyes