Elena crouches giggling

Elena crouches giggling

in a cardboard box

covered with a blanket

which she calls variously

her bed, her tent,

or her house

Charla crawls to the box

grips edge and hoists herself

into her aspirational

near stand

starts shouting

at top of lungs

(high notes

from up there

in the squeeze box)

three syllables

over and over

Sudden

recognition

huge only for us

that she's shouting "Elena"

with all the joy

and cosmic poignancy

of a slightly

staticky transmission

from our friends

in the next galaxy