Up

      by Michael Dylan Welch and Tanya McDonald

first warm day

seven suns

are not enough Michael

        seven moons

        peer over the eaves Tanya

seven suns

the new immigrant

conjugates a verb Michael

        wrapped in a frayed quilt

        all seven moons Tanya

the fifth

of the seven suns

eclipsed Michael

        seven moons

        short a piece of silver Tanya

the treasure

hidden inside an egg

seven suns Tanya

        playing golf

        on the seventh moon Michael

do you like butter?

she holds seven suns

to his chin Tanya

        seven moons

        he pours her wine Michael

seven suns

the digits

of this phone number Tanya

        once upon a time

        seven moons Michael

lost in the weave

of a plaid slipper

seven suns Tanya

        at the juvie center

        seven moons Michael

the baby shakes

the seven suns

to pieces Tanya

        sevenmoonlight

        on the surgery scar Michael

seven suns

the black hen

eats another blossom Tanya

        my head shrunken

        by the seven moons Michael

seven suns

our tickets booked

to Mazatlán Michael

        the sandcastle holds

        seven honeymoons Tanya

arctic wind

seven suns

for seven brothers Michael

        after the earthquake

        seven silent moons Tanya

the butcher knife

stuck in the cheese rind

seven suns Michael

        seven moons

        what’s in a name? Tanya

a sun is a sun

is a sun is a sun is a sun

is a sun is a sun Michael

        thistle seeds

        scattering the seven moons Tanya

sevensunburned

the stranded pod

of pilot whales Michael

        circulating the petition

        seven moons Tanya

seven suns

the time it takes

to say I’m jobless Michael

        carousel horse nodding

        to the tune of seven moons Tanya

empty stadium

a hummingbird feeds

on seven sunsets Tanya

        seven moons

        since we met Michael

grinding the last

seven suns of coffee

for the unexpected guest Tanya

        added to my star chart

        seven moons Michael

seven suns

strung among the leis

around his neck Tanya

        up up and away

        to the seven moons Michael