When I saw this photo on Unsplash (a much smaller shot), I thought it could be a black and white close up of a brownie without powered sugar, or frosting. Then I realized it was a picture of the moon.
I think we do that a lot and don’t even know it. We see something, assume we know what it is, or might be, then move on, without taking an extra minute to find out what we’re really looking at.
Photo: NASA
Unsplash
once upon a time
when the moon was very young
and found out
that it didn’t have
a light of its own
a girl
who was quite young herself
thought she head someone in the sky
crying
ARE YOU OKAY UP THERE
she called out LOUDLY
and the noise stopped
WHAT’S WRONG
she asked
the baby moon sighed
I just found out that I don’t
(sniffed the moon)
have a light of my OWN
IS THAT A BAD THING
asked the girl
WHAT DO YOU MEAN
asked the moon
obviously confused
I MEAN WHY DO YOU CARE
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LIGHT OF YOUR OWN
I DON’T HAVE A LIGHT OF MY OWN EITHER
the moon was silent
then said
BUT I’M SUPPOSED TO LIGHT THE WAY
OH
said the girl
FOR WHO
FOR EVERYONE
WOW
THAT’S A BIG JOB
I KNOW
groaned the moon
I DON’T THINK MANY THINGS
HAVE THEIR OWN LIGHT
JUST THE SUN
REALLY
asked the moon
YES REALLY
SO I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE
OF COURSE NOT
the moon stopped sniffling
and felt quite a bit better
ARE YOU OKAY NOW
YES THANK YOU
I’D LIKE TO STAY AND TALK
BUT I FEEL AS IF I’M BEING PULLED AWAY
I CAN THROW A ROPE TO YOU
AND YOU CAN LOOP IT OVER YOUR EDGE
THEN I’LL HOLD ON TO THE OTHER END
AND YOU CAN STAY FOR AWHILE
I’D REALLY LIKE THAT
said the moon
so that’s just what they did
and the moon stayed
as long as it could
and they had a lovely
evening chatting
and doing what
moons and little girls do
Picture: Pixabay
People once believed there was a man in the moon. They also believed the moon was made of cheese, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s the man we’re interested in. You see, a man never lived in, or on, the moon. No, not even for a little while. A woman was there for a few years, but she moved on because try as she may, flowers simply would not grow and without flowers, well, there was no reason to stay. So the moon was basically just hanging there by itself.
Having said that, a man has always been involved. You see, there’s a kind of repairman, or janitor, if you will, who cares for the moon. He sweeps and makes sure the craters are in order and the things we leave there, when we blast off, go into the Moon Museum of Junk Visitors Leave Behind.
The man doesn’t live on the moon, he lives above it. There are trap doors throughout the universe. When it’s time to care for the moon, which is hollow and made of metal, left where it is by the alien race that made it, the man simply opens the portal and using a special collapsible glider, he floats to the moon and back.
The moon, isn’t empty. It’s filled with humans, other worldly beings, and lots of stuff. There are photographs, which are doctored by the government, that before being touched up, show machines, smokestacks and ships, but we won’t be allowed to see them as they are, only the versions that aren’t real. They fixed the Face on the Moon, so it doesn’t look like a face.
Anyway, I hope this explains the whole Man in the Moon thing once and for all. I mean it’s about time someone told everyone what was going on.
Photo: Pixabay
Katie
was born outside
on a clear night
under a crescent Moon
the first thing she saw
through her blurry vision
was that beautiful sliver
of white
hanging in the sky above her
she cooed
at it
and kicked her feet
opening and closing
her tiny new fingers
she reached out
toward the Moon
and the
Moon
took notice
the Moon looked
down
and saw a new daughter
one of Her very own
so She placed
a crescent birthmark
on her wee right arm
Katie
fascinated
with the Moon
sang to Her
every night
she sang about
the Moon’s beauty
she sang about
Her kindness
and when Katie closed her eyes
the only thing she ever saw
was that beautiful crescent Moon
smiling down at her
so if you hear someone singing
about the wonders
of the Moon
and the night sky
it’s probably one of Katie’s songs
but
if you listen carefully
in the dead of night
and you hear Katie
singing
and understand the words
then you may be one of the
Moon’s
children as well
it never hurts
to check for a birthmark
on your right arm
the moon belongs
to everyone
anyone can get there
as long as
have a ladder
that’s long enough
well
one that wouldn’t
fall over
when standing up
which might be a
PROBLEM
but that’s not the
ONLY PROBLEM
there’s always the
atmosphere
still we shouldn’t let
anything get in our way
of our dreams
if we have the ladder
that’s the beginning
a way to start
and life is all about
starting
that’s the one thing
you can never
ignore
you have to
start
or you’ll
never
get anywhere
Photo: Pixabay
she couldn’t keep track
of all those
who had gone on
before her
so she asked the Moon
when it was in its crescent form
if She would hold a star
for each of them
in Her arms
that way
she could
wave at everyone
and send them
love
the Moon said
She would be happy
to oblige
and from then on
whenever the Moon
was a crescent
She held the
girl’s loves
in Her embrace
You know I don’t shine, right? I don’t have a light of my own, I borrow the light from someone else, but that’s okay because light is there for all of us, isn’t it? I mean, you can’t stop the light, can you? Somehow it always finds a way, like when you close a door but the light seeps out from underneath it, so you put a blanket over the crack and the light shoots out from the top, or the side, because light just keeps going and you can’t put it out.
I’m all about darkness. I like darkness. Well, I wouldn’t want to live in complete darkness, the way it’s going to be when everything is dead, including the light, but you know what I mean. I’m not like all the other natural things floating around out here. Someone put me here, as a base, of sorts, so there is that, but still, I’m not going away any time soon. Soon being relative, of course.
Meanwhile, you humans attribute all kinds of things to me, Goddesses, scary stuff, night crawlers, moonwalkers, well, you can make up your own list, everyone seems to have one. I’m on the cover of a lot of books by Poe. Along with ravens, but you would know all about that, wouldn’t you. At least those of you who love the dark, or think you love the dark, without knowing what the dark really is.
See, you have never known true darkness, the darkness that makes your eyes so useless that you touch them, to make sure that they’re really open. That kind of darkness, the kind where there’s a complete absence of light. The kind of darkness you don’t ever want to know. That kind of darkness will paralyze you, make you afraid to take a single step, not knowing if you will fall forever, or find something to receive your foot. Disoriented and paralyzed with fear, your hearing will take over, and while you will listen for any sound…you won’t hear anything at all…because true darkness eats sound, it eats everything. Your heart will race, so will your thoughts, as they quickly go through the file cabinet of your mind, looking for a reference that will help you understand what’s going on but, of course, there is no index card for true darkness. No one could write it. No one could read it.
True darkness is the dark that people should fear. Humans need light/sight to navigate, to make sense of their reality, but true darkness also eats reality, turning it into feeling, into fear, into a longing for a swift end.
When the universe ends, all that will remain will be temperatures so cold, humans don’t have the brain capacity to even understand them, and true darkness. Uncountable numbers of dead stars and planets will hang suspend, in pitch black nothingness. A fitting end, don’t you think? A reflection of humanities love of violence and death.
But wait, for every ending there is a new beginning, isn’t that what you humans say? Always another door, waiting to be opened? I wonder what will be on the other side of the next one?
I’m pretty cool. I mean, I am the moon, after all, and yes, the pun is intended. But I have a question…. Do you think, that when your star starts expanding, and you begin to feel the heat, war will continue to rage, and greedy men will still fight for more power? Do you think they will wake up long enough to realize that the end is right in front of them? They won’t be around to see the oceans evaporate, but I wonder…when everything is dying, will they still be trying to get more for themselves?
the
sun
was
bright
and
yellow
the
moon
a
silver
gray
their
edges
touched
and
mingled
turning
darkness
into
day
dusk
reached
out
and
kissed
the
dawn
they
mixed
their
dusty
rays
they
said
goodbye
and
closed
their
eyes
and
then
went
on
their
way
Rethinking Life 
Written
on March 6, 2020