Cover me.
I have been shining for millennia,
Rising. Rising. Rising and rising.
Wherever I lay my rays, it is morning.
I cannot set, I do not sleep.
Cover me with your cool bright surface,
Bring me into alignment with your cratered face.
Keep me from shining —
For two long minutes, let me go dark,
Let my beams gush from the pressure of your presence
like honey from the comb.
See how beautiful I can be when we align.
See how beautiful the dark is when you hold me.
Anna Lenti is the director of choral and vocal activities at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. In her spare time, she writes poetry, runs long distances, and bakes elaborate cakes for her two children.