Evenings darken earlier now, and when I go out I notice the moon, right there, shining down on me. This past week it was a waxing crescent, lightly clouded over and gauzy. Leaves are beginning to turn, the air is nippy, and the moon looks spooky. Perfect!
Ted Kooser wrote a poem that I like very much, from his collection of poems titled "Winter Mornings: 100 Postcards to Jim Harrison." It begins:
Only a crust of moon is left
to offer the morning,
I can almost feel that crust, rough and dry in my throat. But in spite of that crust sounding like a cold dry leftover, it also sounds intriguing. There's something about the tiny crescent that fascinates and even amuses. Not much to offer the morning, perhaps, but much to offer the imagination.
Speaking of imagination, I'm dedicating some space to a new book by Irene Latham titled The Museum on the Moon: Curious Objects on the Lunar Surface. Myriam Wares illustrated it with just the right tones for the calm bright surfaces of the moon, and Irene wrote poems for each artifact that has been left there. I really like the premise for this book: curious objects that have been left on the moon. What a fascinating topic!
Irene's poems are delightful. I have several favorites, but I'd like to share a bit of this one because in just a few words it made me think about something I had not considered:
Forever Footprints
Human tracks tattoo
Moon's rutted face --
With no wind, no rain
There's no way to erase...
I invite you to find Irene's book and share it. It will be perfect for a classroom or that young person who is enthralled with space. And don't miss the final pages, which are full of astronauts and timelines and many good notes about the moon and its visitors. Congratulations, Irene! Stellar!!!
And now...
How about a fun Moon craft? I did this with kids ages 4 to 12, and they all loved it. Mix paint with flour until it looks like paste, brush a thick layer on a paper circle and stamp it with various sized circles. After a day for drying: Tada!!! A moon with craters. So fun!
I wrote a moon poem some years ago, and decided to rework it for today's blog. Today is a full moon, by the way... the Harvest Moon! I hope the clouds give me a chance to see it.
Sister Moon
Come close
Sister Moon
Show me your
Glowing face
Whisper to me
Of your mystery
Of beauty, strength,
And grace
What do you keep
In your thin crescent bowl?
When you melt away
Where do you hide?
What makes you blush
Bright as a cardinal?
What enchantment
Charms the tides?
We're sisters, dear Moon
We share a wealth
Of sunshine
From above
I'm glad for your glow,
Little Sister Moon,
And I send you
All my love.
© Karen Eastlund, 2023
It is Poetry Friday, and you are invited to join the gang at
Jama Rattigan's where she shares some
hilarious poetry. Click HERE to join the fun.
Oh, I love "Sister Moon," Karen. Esp. like the second stanza with that crescent bowl and enchantment charming the tides. And thanks for sharing "Forever Footprints" -- something I never thought about and SO cool!
ReplyDeleteOoo, I believe tonight is a full moon! I love the craft idea for the moon - with surprisingly realistic results. I may have to crack out some paint and flour. : )
ReplyDeleteI love them all, Karen. The moon is indeed a magical thing in our lives. I shared Irene's book a few weeks ago, one to add to all of our collections! And I'm glad you re-worked & re-shared your own "Sister Moon", especially "What enchantment
ReplyDeleteCharms the tides?" Makes want to be by the ocean right now! Happy weekend!
Sister Moon was full to overflowing through the branches of the sycamore tree on this foggy morning! We greeted each other with winks and smiles!
ReplyDeleteI love these lines, Karen: "When you melt away / Where do you hide?"
ReplyDeleteA lovely post through and through, Karen! It's hard to pick a favorite poem from Irene's book, isn't it? Hard to pick a favorite line from "Sister Moon" but I love this: "What do you keep/In your thin crescent bowl?"
ReplyDeleteAnd what a fun moon craft! I would have totally tackled that with my girls when we were homeschooling. :)
So many wonderful things in your post, I don't know where to begin! First, I love Irene's book! Thank you for sharing it here. Your poem is delightful, Karen. I have Ted Kooser's book and have read the poems many times. Thank you for the activity. I'll give it a try next time my grandchildren visit!
ReplyDeleteLovely post from top to bottom, Karen! I'd like to try to make a paste moon myself. Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteAh, Karen, so much goodness here. The craft looks fun and a really effective way to capture the moon in art. I love your Sister Moon poem, especially all the questions you ask in the middle stanza. This one is such a great metaphor: "What do you keep / In your thin crescent bowl?"
ReplyDelete