Shadow Box

everything you see,
freckles and
light fragments,
tiny teeth, tangled hair,
spinning copter blades
and tangerine smiles,
will melt in the rain
it’s all made of sugar
our blood and skin and
our sundresses and
snakeskin suits
it’s sugar and wax and
it will melt
everything we know
is tucked inside a shadow box
an acrylic navy paint night sky
splashed over the bottom
of a shoe box
and styrofoam planets
swaying melodically to a man-made breeze
from fishing wire
and our sun is a first place medal
gold and lighted
under tanning bed bulbs
that allow us a crayon rainbow
and LED starry nights
that remind us we’re alive

as sugar and wax
can be