Dream of the Third Body - Jasmine Khaliq

titled after Hélène Cixous’ The Third Body (1970), trans. Keith Cohen

before I realized he was interested—I can’t remember a real thing

I drank, I had dinner, I’m sure there was wine, plum slices, sauce pitchers—

and I laughed, I looked toward him—and everything slides off, narrator,

protagonist—myself himself, myself myself—slip dress

pulled over head, inside out. all stitches. watching each

chosen curve of my hair, my hand—just so,

for you to receive. even when I dream.

Originally published by Poet Lore, Vol. 115 No. 1/2, Summer/Fall 2021

Jasmine Khaliq is a Pakistani Mexican American poet born and raised in Northern California. Her work is found in Poetry Northwest, Poet Lore, The Rumpus, Bennington Review, Best New Poets 2023, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from University of Washington, Seattle. Currently, Jasmine is a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah. She can be found at jasminekhaliq.com.