Missing moon

JTomblinson
Author: JTomblinson
Word Count: 146
browse writing next

Missing moon

I guess it’s known as a dark moon? Being new to the study of lunar cycles, I’d never noticed before…

I grew up in rural Oregon, btw, and I don’t think any of the earliest imagery from my childhood has ever made it into my art before.

Missing moon belongs to the following groups:

Graphic Scratch

The moon disappeared for three days.
Every evening I searched for her
rudderless
uneasy
scanning the horizons at dusk
vexed that the brightness of the morphing sun
so easily kept her from me

But she was just hiding in sunshine
lost in the myriad yellow and brights
and swelling blue of the swallowing sky
She finally emerged tonight
the smallest silver
peaceful sliver

silent
waiting

To see her was to feel it again
whatever followed me as a child
rising out of the ground
tingling against my skin, my hair
also silent

playing among the eternal greens
ancient trees, carpets of ferns
streams like paths to hidden meadows
moss-covered fences
whispering their invitation

Welcome, my anchor.
I’ve missed your face.

I crunch home through fallen acorns
black-shadowed oaks
brazen yellow streetlamps
tidy new sidewalks
at peace with my place in the night.

  • mstrace

    mstrace

    Like I said, this is one STUNNING piece of fucking writing, jules…I’m not kidding. So precisely perfect for this cool October night, the month of the full moon and Halloween and goddesses of night and soothing to my crazy fever. This, my dear girl, is an instant favorite!!!

  • JTomblinson replied

    Sister, you are too kind, trust me on this. ;) However, since you like it and see it as October, I will whip up a little “sumthin extry” for your cookie package later this month. Sumthin seasonable.

    BTW, I tried a new writing style on this one. Instead of actually scribbling it, I came up to the computer, opened the RB window, closed my eyes and tried to type what had just happened without thinking about it. Have edited it here and there for the past 24 hours, but the process seemed to work pretty well.

  • lilylive

    lilylive

    this is really beautiful, praises to your pen!
    the moon disappeared for a few nights, just last week. i went out every night as i always do, then would find myself forlorn when i came inside. i was so happy when she came back, that i told my daughter, who looked at me a little strange, but oh well.. you are right, our anchor, the one stable thing in life that you can depend on.. and the sun too of course (he’ll get jealous if i leave him out) hehe

  • JTomblinson replied

    Hi, Lily! Thanks so much! :) I think it is so cool that you noticed the same thing about the moon at the same time I did, half the world away. and I had the same experience with it you did! Except my daughter is 3, so she doesn’t think I’m the slightest bit odd yet; she just thought it was another of Mom’s before-bathtime games, “let’s go outside and find the moon.” ;) We didn’t have any luck, so I had to do some more research. Turns out that not only was it dark moon, but the sun and moon’s cycles here were coinciding to the point that the moon was rising in the morning and setting just after the sun, so we had no chance of spotting her, for about three days.

    Ahhhh, but the sun is different, isn’t he? Important… but not the same. ;D

  • lilylive

    lilylive

    very cool indeed yesh thankU for the info on the missing moon, i’m just glad she’s back. i love it that the same moon is seen by all, that really gets my satellites going lol

  • JTomblinson replied

    It was one of those things I knew but hadn’t really connected with yet; thanks again for giving me a new appreciation!! :)

  • armadillozenith

    armadillozenith

    This is a lovely poem! ‘whatever followed me as a child’.. great line, keen concept.
    So many things, like those you mention (framed within ‘playing..invitation’), seem to hold a secret meaning meant personally for us when we are children. I think they really do!.. and we are favoured adults when we continue to see that..

    I am continually finding it through phtography and seeing others’ work here on RedBubble..

  • JTomblinson replied

    Thanks so much, AZ! :) I’m glad that the exact intent of what I said rather vaguely came through so clearly to you! You’ve got it precisely. Now THAT’s cool. ;)

Add your comment

You need to login or signup to add your comment to this work.