Sunday, October 31, 2021

Vashta Nerada

 











There are always more shadows than light
yet, without the light
there would be no shadows

The moon is always here

removed, going about her business

but always a witness

to the things that happen in the night

 

She is not new

or slivered

or halved

that is only what we see

 

She is older than memory, older than superstition,

and full as the fire that consumes you

always

 

Follow the light, if you will,

but never forget

to count the shadows


The image is provided as a writing prompt by The Sunday Muse.  Check it out.

18 comments:

  1. Yes, she remains the same but appears differently to us, Perhaps it's her smashing outfits!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my, your poem is beautiful!! Thank you for gifting us on this Halloween .. a real treat.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mary you have cast a spell of poetic beauty upon us!! This is gorgeous in every way!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It is difficult to see that the moon is always whole it's just that we see only parts of her sometimes. Nice poem that holds together well with the concept.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lulu: "And hope there isn't one shadow too many!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. We cannot keep her from shining, only clouds and the earth rotation can do that.
    (well, a few eclipses also do that)
    ..

    ReplyDelete
  7. "She is as old as memory...." Beautiful. I remember, as a child, in the backseat of the car, being amazed that the moon followed us as we traveled.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A Whovian joy to read, and every line broods over those shadows, small in themselves but overwhelming en masse, that hide behind the light with a deft but deadly touch. I especially like the bookending effect of the first and last stanzas. Good to see your words, Mary.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love this unique poem about the moon's light and the darkness. I love the moon and realize now that I always consider it from my perspective, forgetting it is always there - full.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Shadows, we need them as we need light, but often we fear them. Beautiful writing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. The shadows and the light work together and not always in a good way. The moon is always the same, it's just our perception of her that is distorted.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lovely haunting way to end 'never forget to count the shadows'. Beautifully written.

    ReplyDelete
  13. A pleasant shiver for the holiday weekend. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wonderful musings on the moon. Love this, Mary!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you everyone. I've visited and read all your lovely pieces too. :)

    ReplyDelete

Sijo - NaPoWriMo #28

NaPoWriMo prompt for today: Write a sijo which is a traditional Korean verse form with three lines of 14-16 syllables.   The first line ...