i am not the moon, nor a star

Kaitlyn Von Behren

in response to W. H. Auden’s “I Am Not A Camera”

a girl with the sun’s rays

hidden in her hair

whispers to me a secret,

and i wish

i was the moon,

reflecting light

back to her. instead,

i am a black hole,

collapsing matter, eating light.

saturn’s rings rest

on her fingers,

and she giggles,

her grin veiled

as if by a spread of cards

(the sun and moon), 

and i wish

i was a star,

luminous and warm.