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POEMS BY WENDY MNOOKIN
BOA EDITIONS
181 PAGES
HEROIN
He goes to Lucia's Café, takes a table outside,
under a striped umbrella, and orders espresso
with a twist of lemon. He loves
the cup that balances in his hand,
the first pucker of coffee in his mouth. The sun
warms the back of his neck, he raises his head
and shrugs his shoulders, slowly, to spread
the branching threads of heat. Reaching
in his pocket for bills folded in a small tight square,
he passes the money to a man
in a windbreaker and a Yankees cap.
The napkin has a red L sewn into one corner.
The letter is raised, he reads it
with his thumb. Later, in bed,
he will drift his fingers to his face
and the smell of lemon will surprise.