Diane Thiel

                        —After Vladimir Kush’s painting, Open World

The children can easily fit themselves inside
the toy that fits inside a pocket,
shifting size and shape throughout the day
and then expanding into their dreams.
The world opens through the fairy tale,
the counterpoint to climb, holding onto
the music, note by note, measure by time.
It might be entirely new, or a memory
we have already held in our hands.
Existence as we know it, the song
wound tight and coiled,
is about to expand.

From one angle, it might look like
a simple combination of a container
and a sphere. Such a small space compared
to the great expanse, but holding more
than the usual flotsam of the stars.
The volcano is smoking and sure
to change things, shift the plates and continents.
Something is arriving.
All the elements could come together
at any moment, and the planets in the distance
are watching closely
to see what happens next.