Monster Theory #2
Jordan E. Franklin
Monster Theory #2
By Jordan E. Franklin
Monstering myself / ain’t a hard art / to muster /
i enter another / White /
room / changed / and Professor says / oh good /
You weren’t much / of a woman / before / anyway /
She smiles / Her Sterling crosses /
and polishes / Her silver / bullets / under
the table / She checks Her clipboard / marks
me / absent / If i / deny / She’ll say/ i silenced /
Her / even as i’m the one / always missing /
my tongue / i stay / quiet / See how many /
pieces / i’m allowed / to keep / before i must /
thank Her and / leave / There’s nowhere else /
to be / anyway / i sleep / it / off / Tomorrow /
i’ll return / mended / my nerves licked /
closed
Jordan E. Franklin hails from Brooklyn, NY. She received her MFA from Stony Brook Southampton and a PhD from Binghamton University. She is the author of the poetry collection, when the signals come home (Switchback Books, 2021), and the chapbook, boys in the electric age (Tolsun Books, 2021). Her work has appeared in Frontier, SWWIM, the Southampton Review, Torch Literary Arts, and elsewhere. Her second poetry collection, make it to the end (of the movie), a 2025 Blessing the Boats selection, will be published by BOA Editions in Fall 2027.
