Fifteenth day of the
Eighth moon,
Fire crackers snap
Along the Yangtze.
I eat egg noodles on
A woven mat. The moon
Whispers from the sky,
What is your wish, boy?
Chop sticks pause between
My lips. I stare
At burning incense,
Swallow grains of rice.
My wish is to marry Chang-o,
The Moon Lady,
Stroke her black hair, stare
Into her wide eyes, kiss her
Pale cheeks, steal her from the
Sky, eat pears together underneath
Willow trees.
Now, I rub the swollen
Veins on my legs, curl my toes
Underneath cotton sheets,
Let my arms fall down beside my bed.
Leaves from the ginko tree fall in the yard,
A green and yellow blanket across the horizon.
I reach towards the sky, collect
The glowing embers in my fist.
The Moon Lady smiles.
Sean Horlor
Claremont Secondary School
Victoria, British Columbia