Guili's Voice

Her voice is like strands of silk
that have been boiled in soap and water.
Her sentences float behind,
trailing us like a bridal veil.

In China, Guili is not a common
name, she says. I come from a small village,
and I learned English in middle school,
but I am surprised by words like iris,
with so many definitions.
In China, couples have one child
and it is a disappointment
when the child is a daughter.

Guili's voice is soft and kind and beautiful.

Silk workers kill the silkworm
chrysalis with steam
to protect the cocoon filament
before it becomes a moth.
Here in America, Guili is not a common name.
Her voice comes from her throat
like moths fluttering to light.