She says I have
nine letters in my first name
and nine letters in my last name
And she offers to tell me that name
the first name
her first name
not her name
She is busy though
somewhere far down the room
she authorizes the name be shared
some women are born queens
some women are born women
one does not imply the other
I read each of nine letters
typed into the search bar of a phone screen
not said aloud
and wonder what nine letters follow
and do not ask
there is the name I know her by
and the nickname I call her inside myself
and sometimes aloud
and how many others
neither first nor last
and the gift of a name not to be uttered
how do you count it? in
letters
years since she was called by it
names she has had since