sail mail
Kelley Tai

Dear pen pal, I never thought I’d start a seed library
with you, up, up up, where we thought you were
only myth or infinite, daydreams on moonlight,
but now look at us, our own starry botanicals across
the galaxy. In this celestial greenhouse, powered by
solar energy, recycled water, compostable plastics,
our students thank you for sharing your love language
with us, our, because they’re made of you and
me, clustered together like gravity in a bouquet;
BOOM—b l o o m—this garden a supernova:
stardust for pollen, moonwillows like tulips, petals
translucent to show a map of our milky way, oh how
are the bulbs doing out there? I can send some recipes
or flower arrangement ideas (ikebana, to be exact). We
can teach lessons, write textbooks? As ever, me.

Kelley Tai (she/her) is a science fiction and fantasy writer based in Toronto. She runs her own freelance editing business at Bramble and Crow Books and is also the Online Editor for Augur Magazine. When Kelley’s not busy herding her two kitties, she occasionally makes videos on YouTube about the books she’s writing and reading. You can find her previous work in Martian Magazine and forthcoming with Microcosm Publishing.