Radish

I stole the moon when I was seven
seven though I didn't know what was hidden under the tangle of small leaves living
so close to the ground I only knew something mysterious was happening on the other side
of the old man’s fence some slow uprising of spring daring me into the garden by night
by night

I caught it by its scruff
its scruff and pulled from earth one little globe curved and red its long tail pointing
downward from where it came all the way from China fine roots dangling
dangling bits of dirt

I ate the radish all of it
all of it spangling my tongue water/cool pepper/hot all of it rough tops ticklish tail and root
spray still gritty warm with earth center pale and marbled luminous in the garden unrepentant
I ate the moon