Tonight, yes to the boatswain’s whistle,
yes to the scold that won’t reach your eyes
& yes to that eye contact

while you pull off your gloves
& pin my arms back when we’re dancing
the Laendler. Yes to the clap of us

in the courtyard, yes to the path
of guitar-callused fingertips: neck,
collarbone, back… Yes to your lips

at my ear crooning Edelweiss.
O homeland of saltwater bodies 
coming undone.

Violeta Garcia-Mendoza is a Spanish-American poet, teacher, and suburban wildlife photographer. Her debut poetry collection, SONGS FOR THE LAND-BOUND, was published by June Road Press in 2024. Violeta lives with her husband, teenage children, and pack of rescue dogs on a small certified wildlife habitat in western Pennsylvania.