for Lacy, Ellen, Jessi Lu and Lisa
In the darkness, Lacy points us toward two stars
stacked in a vertical line just above the horizon.
She teaches us to see the parallelogram
of a celestial teapot, then guides us
to find the spout which empties out
into the very center of our galaxy.
Naked, we stare at the distant milky glow
and know in our bones the center is not,
in fact, light years away, but right here
in our wood-fired hot tub in the middle
of a meadow with mountains all around.
Or wherever women commune, says Jessi Lu.
Yes, this is the tea cup right here, a cup
overflowing with laughter, tears, stories,
heart, and an ancient swirl of glittering stars.