agnieszka

i am not afraid of ghosts,

except for the ones

who have your babies

with your eyes and nose and smile.

and the other women

who did not yell out during love,

or cry.

i am afraid of the words you printed over,

agnieszka, agnieszka.

i hear it in my sleep.

and if i were her,

i'd be fighting to have you back

with the greatest weapon a woman could have.

i want one--

a soft, pink, fuzzy incoherent thing.

who has never heard agnieszka

or been cradled by her name on your skin.

who would be ours

something you could leave me with.