the game got played
on heart-gazing nights

dreaming this body transposed 
among las estrellas otras 

& how much brighter they sound
in that disinherited cosmos

still 

looking ever up, 
seeking constellation 

coordinates where this vessel
might collapse distances

built between each tip 
of an asking tongue:

when can i say  

encontré mi lugar cosmica?

cuantos sueños

will it take?

Jason Baltazar is a proud Salvadoran American, originally from the Appalachian corner of Maryland. His work has or will appear in Boston Review, Salt Hill, Wigleaf, and elsewhere. He teaches creative writing and literature at James Madison University. For more info, check out his
website: www.jasonbaltazar.com