Her husband appears in the kitchen doorway, clutching his lover’s sweatshirt. Sorry. For him, the word comes from grit, polished by hardship. Sorry. For days, she’d waited to hear it, drinking whisky, adrift–and now? Suddenly on shore, she hurls the word out to sea, watching as it floats away.

Jennifer Mills Kerr runs A World in a Line, an organization that connect poets from around the world through virtual workshops. Her poetry is forthcoming in One Art and the Eunoia Review. Connect with Jennifer at JenniferMillsKerr.com.