pluto's wife

yesterday i learned that pluto
has a wife, so i walked outside 
in the driveway to see if i could
catch a glimpse of her from earth. 
between the muddle of night sky & mars
being so loud & red i could barely
make her out; crouched on 
the small cold surface of 
the dwarf planet, knees tucked
into her chest. she is so young.
pressing hand prints into 
the frozen nitrogen surface. 
she toyed with her hair, a fish tail
braid. she glanced at neptune longingly,
who wouldn't? he's so so blue &
she is so so young to be all 
the way out there. it's commone
though, that a young girl would 
want to throw her heart 
like a skipping stone at the night sky. 
i have made similar errors.
i baked a tuna casserole like
the one we assembled for 
the reverend's wife 
when he died,
covered it in tin foiled & gripped
the dish with my green hot pads,
started trekking up the steep slope
where the earth blends into space.
i had expected pluto to be tiny,
but i had not expected how miniature. 
she took off my boots by the door
& we stood about an inch apart.
her breath was warm against me,
fogged my glasses.
she offered me an appetizer;
those fried raviolis that aunt
Pam used to make at Christmas,
she's a pluto goer too. i think
it's in our blood. the hereditary 
desire to escape at all costs.
without a word we fed each other, 
wiped crumbs off each other's faces, 
the marinara sauce in the corners 
of our mouths.
i told her to run away with me
& even though pluto didn't protest
she shook her head. she crouched
back down & pressed her lips to
the icy body, sealing herself there.
i fish tail braided the wife's hair
before i left. i sang her the song
we sing in church on the feast 
of the assumption of Mary. 
Ave Ave Ave Maria. i want to call
her Maria but she wouldn't
admit a name to me. i did the dishes 
that were left in the sink. 
i set the casserole 
on the top shelf in the fridge. 
i took my time strolling home.
i wanted to look at least once
at neptune: so so blue. we met eyes so
i quickened my pace. my planet
is green & wants me.
my planet is wild & i don't
take off my shoes, leave footprints
on my bed. i wake in soil & sun.