The Dog in the Moon

On the car ride home from vacation

Mom and Dad listen to a book

blaring through the speakers

from Mom’s cell phone

on the wrinkly face of the moon

a dog’s head appears in its shadows

follows us down the road

wispy clouds tumble across the sky

smother the bright light of the moon

like a lantern that blew out

turn to Evie:

“All this started because

of a thirty second video

I took on Dad’s camera.”

“About that.”

Evie lays Mr. Crunch

across her lap like a snack tray:

“I showed it to Dad. He says

it’s the reflection of car headlights

in the windows.”

she shrugs

Maybe

but the rest of the stuff

mist

rowboat

raft

nightmares

dog collar

ghost

ghost writing

writing a ghost

are real.