"sky-full." by Arden Phan

in memory of laika.

moscow mongrel,
unloved,
eleven-ish pounds
of tiny bone and flesh.

picked for bravery, space
to be a quiet
sacrifice

kisses placed gently
knowing,
you would return to
the heavens once more.

may the cramped shuttle
offer you warmth
you so longed for

let every shooting star
meteor,
serve as a game
of fetch.

may ethereal hands
guide your next soul
towards a new bountiful life

one where you
do not walk the lit streets,
but a field of everlasting stars
finally loved and adored.

sweet dear old puppy, laika
bound across the infinite universe.

Arden Phan is a senior from Waukee, Iowa, studying secondary education with an English/Language Arts endorsement. This marks his fourth year in the Waldorf Literary Review. He’s excited to share his work and to finally uncover the truth: that he is, in fact, the shrimp who fried the rice.