she drinks a diet coke in the mornings;
the girl i wanna know sits primly in plastic seats,
cushioned chairs, wooden benches,
and she leaves the house at five in the morning
to catch no sunrise but just the fresh air,
the girl i wanna know bathes in silence like it’s a spirit,
she takes her voice and learns for it,
tucking it in a box with her anger—

the girl i wanna know,
she waits until the last stop of the bus,
watching men disappear,
the girl i wanna know,
sits on your desk with her
legs crossed, she
takes your fingers like blessings and breathes into your palm curses,
and the girl i wanna know
drinks a diet coke in the mornings.