My daddy calls me
Moon Baby
I was born on the day
Apollo touched
Dust.
My father sat in the delivery room
Watching
CBS
When I let out my first
Holler
Daddy gave a
Gasp
He stood and cheered for me and the
Moon
A world of possibilities
In the space of a second

My uncle did the two step
In the waiting room
We beat the Soviets

Mama nursed me prayin’
That they’d come back
Alive
Alive as the living breathing
brown-eyed thing
That wiggled in her arms
Very much
Real

My grandma had her fingers crossed
The whole day long
The TV flickered
Wavered
Crackled
One giant step
One small breath

They swung me round the room
Like a special prize from
Her majesty the
Moon

The Atlanta heat crept through
Windows and
Doors
Sweat and tears mingled
S l i d i n g
down the cheek

The whispers crept through
the stagnant air
touched
landed
healthy
sweet
survived.

They named me
Luna Phoebe
Moon Bright.
Moon Bright.
My daddy whispers
Moon Bright.
Luna Phoebe.

My daddy calls me
Moon Baby
I was born the day
Apollo touched
Dust.