Coda

Coda
by Le Hinton

All humans speak multiple languages

but never anyone else’s.

A boss’s no knife/no back policy

becomes garbled in the red liquid aftermath

of a pen to the jugular.

Daddy’s little girl says nothing

for 8 weeks and no one understands

her subtlety.

A new love smiles in Portuguese.

“I love you,” he says.

“Only if,” she responds.

Shh. Listen to your neighbor’s dog

listening to their neighbors’ ecstasy

without an accent.

Translate that if you can.