by Bethany Lee

One day
the moon got bored
of being worshipped
all the time
turned her back
on the world
and set off
on her own
unlit path
She can see
in the dark
you know
so she doesn’t need
to wait for day
to wander
No one asks the moon
where she is going
not Orion
or Cassiopeia
Not even the twins
though they always want
to know everything
She slips away
every few weeks
disappears for the night
and comes back
steadier, burgeoning
with secrets
She doesn’t tell you
everything
she knows
you learn more
from her silence
than you ever would
from speaking
All the other days
she is available
she belongs to everyone
but on this day
she revolves, turns
all the light she contains
to the inside
and shines
If you could enter her
you would be dazzled
by the radiance
so you are
not invited in
except to follow her
into the dark
to become still
and unavailable
to all but your own
luminous core
Thank you, Bethany Lee, for this lovely poem on the moon. It’s beautiful and draws me into the secrets of the moon.