A young girl stands facing the river
her back to the future
she is wearing a cloth coat
and a wool beret
she looks to be eight or nine
she has no name
she hasn’t been born
and never will be.
She could be Miriam’s daughter
but she’s dead.
She could be Benjamin’s daughter
but he’s dead.
She could be Joseph’s granddaughter
but he’s dead.
She could be a grandmother
baking cookies for her grandchildren
but they were never born.
He was never good at math
but knows one plus one
can equal three
and whoever answered six million
doesn’t know how to count.
Jeffrey Hantover is the author of three novels The Jewel Trader of Pegu, The Three Deaths of Giovanni Fumiani, and The Forenoon Bride. His poetry and short fiction have appeared in various literary journals.
