specular reflection

An ekphrastic poem by Kaia Boyer

This poem comes to us from Kaia Boyer (they/she/he), an author born and raised in San Francisco, California. Their love for writing lies in sweeping angsty romance and fantasy with an aspiring interest in linguistics and reading classics. While she's not reading and writing, she can be found on the softball field pitching wildly, making 'aesthetic' boards on Pinterest, watching shows, and listening to music. They’re currently revising their second novel.

The poem was inspired by the Luna exhibit in Amy Hauft's 700,000:1 collection at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.

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my moon,
haven’t you learned your echoes
are far louder than your words?

my luna,
two paths to your mind will never be
enough

you cannot only listen and not
absorb
you cannot only speak and not
observe
your light is not the only bulb that
glistens
you see their tears shining in your
luminance?

you may have your craters
you may have your inverse
but acceptance is the remedy
you shield their light too often

be calm

stop your orbit and your
hovering
let your echoes ring with soft
melodies

leave your chips of plaster for the
broadness of space

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