MARIA GIESBRECHT

Things I’ve Memorized Trying to Stay Alive

The menu at Bar George in Montréal, everything—
the apps, the cocktails, and even the wines,
how the Cabernet Franc is alphabetized
incorrectly. How to count money
like regrets. Five ways to escape
in high heels. How to fly fast without looking
like you’re running. The airport
code to every gorgeous city. Why flamingos
become pink. How to please. How to glow
in the dark—the curve of a Maserati’s
back seat, a ramp to a good life,
the charred cost of a future.