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poetry: moonset

masked moonlight wakes me
pulling dreams backward, inward
pulling body forward, outward
five steps and I’m outside
bare feet on weathered wood
yes, moon, what do you want
watch me descend, it says
casting legato light across waves
as sapient stars nod, blinking in agreement
what else can I do but listen

opalescent ocean dances below
sings softly of forgetting
or is it forgiving
maybe it wants me to bleed
shedding mawkish memories
dance, move, swing your arms
let go, it calls
can it be so simple

silver moon transforms
briefly mimics sunlight 
before sinking
below the waves
below the horizon
below my pained core
with a final golden gasp
it calls out to me
yes, I hear you

folding, folding
I tuck the words inside—
my moonset gift
swaying, swaying
I rock with the waves
under billowy blankets
until morning comes

Note: Both of these photos are of the moon setting at around 1 a.m. If you look closely in the second one you might see stars.

58 thoughts on “poetry: moonset”

  7. What a better then best capture the moonset. With recommend the lovely written poem. Very powerful words use in poem.
    “I’m outside
    bare feet on weathered wood
    yes, moon, what do you want
    watch me descend, it says
    casting legato light across waves
    as sapient stars nod, blinking in agreement”

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  8. Where to begin? Don’t wanna focus. Just want to roll beside these cradles of images – meaning your words, more than the photographs (although they’re nice too, especially moon-with-stars). My mood is almost undefined right now, but this poem fits right in, like it’s just one more star in the sky.

    If compelled for specifics, then… what your poem repeatedly does is not even call & response, but both hands offered at once – like there was always just “one” to begin with and we just didn’t have the word. So you invented a way to feel it instead. Impressed.

    And for all the expanse presented, the poem is intimate, close, siting right next to me. Lovely job. Deserves appreciation.

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  11. The first image is as captivating as your ability to use such inspiring language and word play in each line of this poem! The moon does call to many of us, doesn’t it? And as the poem closes – I find myself feeling settled and still. This poem was a journey.

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    • What a wonderfully thoughtful comment. Thank you. I’ve never seen the moon set over the ocean before and I’m not likely to forget the experience. I’m glad my poem captured the journey and the feeling of stillness for you. That means so much to me.

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  12. You’re getting more powerful with the poetry. I’m not sure this is accurate, but: lately it seems you’ve focused on being more descriptive-in-the-moment, sort of a word photograph, whereas a ways back you were trying to capture an entire gestalt. Nothing wrong with the latter, but I think it’s a lot more difficult to achieve. And the funny thing is that you still can paint your interiority with the ‘snapshot’ approach. Or it seems that way to me….

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    • Thank you for reading my poetry so carefully and seeing this transition. I’ve been reading a lot of good poetry lately and I noticed how the ones I really like paint a very vivid picture but still leave me with a certain feeling. I’m getting closer to understanding my poetic voice. I greatly appreciate your thoughtful comment.

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