When I find the first letter in the garden among the green beans I try to ignore it
think it a weed it grows and grows blank ink a foot off the raised bed
tail like a flaccid flag this ي I have thought
expected someone would find me letters turn to rot left in the ground too long
everything turns bitter so I clutch at the neck pull
it out gloved fingers stained black I look for the dots
find them in the strawberries already sprouted
strawberries turning
dark I know to expect a word another letter or more in this american soil I soak
this ي in water wait for it to soften wait for the next letter
an ا in the cherry tomato bush I pluck early pluck easy peel the glossy outer skin put the two letters together this ا and this ي I roll the edges until
they combine the first and the last
towel off the moisture they sweat for hours
I find no more letters for weeks my first word يا and I wait to hear who is calling
