Up

by Michael Dylan Welch and Tanya McDonald

First published in our book, Seven Suns / Seven Moons (Seattle, Washington: NeoPoiesis Press, 2016), pages 46–53. Originally written 7 April 2009, at SoulFood Books in Redmond, Washington. See also our two rengay from the book, “High Score” and “Torpedo,” and the book’s afterword.

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