Ua Huli Ka Ia (Hawai'ian Lullaby)
by Mary Alexandra Agner
Follow
the moon home.
The skies are unfinished,
painted with unnumbered sparks.
The zenith fish turns over.
The skies are unfinished,
cracked between constellations.
The zenith fish turns over,
swallows the Milky Way.
Cracks between constellations
tilt apart. Tumble in,
swallow the Milky Way,
surf the Magellanics.
Tilting apart, tumbling,
the zenith fish soothes you
in the surf of the Magellanics.
Paddle home, paddle home.
The zenith fish soothes you
with the bright galactic heart.
Paddle home, paddle home,
wet with a wave of sleep.
My bright galactic heart
painted with unnumbered sparks
wet by a wave of sleep,
follow the moon home to me.
Copyright © 2008, Mary Alexandra Agner
Image Credit: Steve Jurvetson, some rights reserved
Mary Alexandra Agner writes of dead women, telescopes, and secrets. She makes her home outside Boston. She can be found online at http://www.pantoum.org.