Glottal is a Word by Shahzeen Nasim

“Glottal” is a word
I can’t swallow. I see my reflection
underneath your eyelashes, I swallow
hard, swallow two round pigeons.
Their feathers wade in my spit.
My mouth can’t contort
for all those sounds in Arabic
but with you, it is not a voluntary response.
I swallowed my banana whole when you said “good morning”
I can’t conjugate the verbs tossed in my direction
It isn’t meant for sense. We do not translate
into another mother tongue, we do not translate one another.
Instead, I learn your dawn’s routine and practice
the bristle of your lashes in my own language.