Khaen is a writer and science educator. Since earning her doctorate in molecular phylogenetics, she has worked as human anatomy and physiology teaching faculty. Her book of poetry, The Bone Collectors, is unpublished. She lives in Ames, Iowa with her husband and their two children.

Ethan
From the Hebrew name אֵיתָן (‘Eitan) meaning strong or enduring.

Your cry is the shrill scream of angels.
The nights when I rock you
Your head falls heavily on my shoulder
And we listen together for cosmic noise.
We rock as the sailboats rock on seas,
Dream sailboat sails in blue, red, green,
Sailing as the dream moon oscillates
On distant shores.

I am 40; you are not yet 2.
I say I will always be there for you.

But tonight
Under paper mâché planets and holographic dust
You bury your little hands deep between us
And I whisper softly
No one knows what this is.
No one knows what we are.
And I hold you and hold you
Until day breaks.