The Luscious Alabaster of a Dune

tells a tale of camaraderie, night
squawking over the moonlight. Two-
tongued, the dune sings, laying out
the tracks of elation
on a new, secret strand.

Connect the stars. Sing along with the dune.
My ocean dips in the night,
discovers my secrets.
Lost in the ocean. Alone.
All that I see are the stars.

Listening to them sing. Feeling the sea breeze.
The star on the tip of the dune waves to me.
Shakes the wet sand on the shore and I
want to sing in response.
Take the stars into me. Tear the star shimmers

to pieces and attach it to my chest.
Feed the stars. Live inside the star.
And realize there is no secret tide.
It has nothing to do with the stars.
It is a restless world.

More and more secrets break away.

David M. Alper’s forthcoming poetry collection is Hush. His work appears in Variant Literature, Oxford Magazine, and elsewhere. He’s an educator in New York City.