How to Swallow the Moon

Briskly or inch-
                   meal, full
moon or half moon or new 
    as a nickel,
       in white tie and tails, 
in China Sea pearls,
        at a diner or a finer 
establishment with
               silver or pewter 
accoutrements.
                               Swallow 
it skimmed from
         a lake or plucked from 
    a pond, with
ivory chopsticks, from a flute 
  or a flask, from a jelly
glass jar, open
           mouthed, through a straw, swallow 
winter’s bright scythe
           or autumn’s round 
butter pie, do it
           dripping with envy, puffy 
      with lust, on
a doormat or grassland, in a gazebo,
      on the raised wooden prow of a slow 
sinking ship, but swallow it
        always completely 
and brashly and
         neatly
  to the spans of the stubs of 
     your toes and to
your fingertips.

Read more from Issue 20.2.