What the Moon Said to the Poet

By Luivette Resto
Your obsession is baffling,
with numerous stanzas dedicated to my phases
and the personification of my reflection off Lake Arrowhead
as countries figure out how to inhabit me
instead of caring for their own inhabitants.

Comparisons to the lover who left you intrigue me,
my imperfections remind you of theirs
as you write down this season’s intentions.
Rituals performed beneath my beauty,
punctuated by synchronized howls,
invoke those who have left us
and those in transition.

I live openly in the brightness of the day
when things are concealed like agony, blessings, and love.

Notes:

This poem is part of the portfolio “The Chorus These Poets Create: Twenty Years of Letras Latinas.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the December 2024 issue.

Source: Poetry (December 2024)