Moonshine
_Between the stars, I_
The El Camino
Tecate to Andromeda
we follow the paths of light
at these speeds,
the beer will still be fresh
customers pay a premium
but the import duties
kill us.
_Time dilation_
Moonlight dazzles
distant starshine eats holes
in the two-tone paint
Demetrius's father put on
only about 30 centuries ago
and Jane, mother also named Jane,
made a picky lad a special dinner
in that same ante-asterian epoch.
_Slow dancing and fuzzy sweaters,
I_
English peas, she cooked,
which have since contributed
a few key genes to smart carpet
and no-mow grass that
keeps her bones warm on cold
winter nights
(like sweaters at college dances)
under an artificial stone
that does not mention his name.
_Between the stars, II_
But it's a good car
and it will get you to the next
galaxy and back
with only a few breakdowns
and an oil change
every century or two,
_slow dancing and fuzzy sweaters
II_
and when you return there might
be
some girls named Jane in
fuzzy sweaters waving flags
at your parade or whatever they
give you
for what you've done,
and eager to drink whatever they
brew
in Andromeda and hear stories
of distant lands.
The end
Publ. The Memory of Persistence,
2007
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