Telescope Orientation and Stardust Jae

By Kendall Moore

At the beginning of the universe, all matter was created. Every atom that exists now, existed then,

in that instant of creation.

The auditorium seats grew stiff, restless scribbling arrested

Every thing & every one in that classroom, in that sky, in these stars, this milk tea

Slap two queens in a row tonight, shuffle these mint cards, you’re back from New York

Food court & cinema sign neon play high school memory-reel, midnight showing

That day I wore green flannel & you untangled

earrings from my curls. We were late,

didn’t check our tickets, just the red ticker above the room

I thought was ours. Missed

the first ten minutes at most –

we screened burst pipes, a baby in a box, a monster

snarling in a corner. (you took my hand)

But after a few minutes’ silo-stress & screaming,

full-room silence.

You are made of Stardust

Pass through your doorway like sunflowers at night

Your sofa is gone, the room full of single chairs

On the edge of your backyard firepit, our soles are flush

Then you kick off like yanking one hair from my scalp

We could be skeletons under an x-ray, hairless heads, erased faces,

Silhouettes against projector light, the curves & holes of anonymous personhood

The molecules inside of you today were once dust floating in space

and they became stars and they died and now, they are you.