Alter Lives of Alter Egos / Kaitlin Dyer

Kaitlin Dyer was born on the banks of the Ohio River in Ironton, Ohio. Her work has been published or is forthcoming from such well-respected literary magazines as PANK, Potomac Review, Poetry International, and Web del Sol. Additionally, she has been a finalist for Five Quarterly‘s Chapbook Competition. She serves as editor, technology specialist, and point of contact for all things creative for Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion, an interactive publication dedicated to connecting public intellectuals on the topic of rhetoric.  Dyer received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from San Diego State University and her B.A. in English from The Ohio State University.

The History of Sex

In the hot kitchen thinking about how hot

the water needs to be for a french press: I want

the beans roasted perfectly and you at the bar

looking at me, a laugh on its way to your face. That’s us.

I keep making this coffee strong because you’re

so damn calm all the time, and I want

to see your heart pump a bit faster,

your legs shuffle just a bit quicker—

to see you more frantic. But really I end

up standing in front of this French press with its

glass steaming up and my cup so empty,

standing and sitting and waiting until it has steeped

into the perfect history of sex.