Eden Moon

Tonight sees the appearance of a so-called Supermoon. I'm not sure exactly how much this will be visible in the UK as the clouds are drawing into my corner of North Yorkshire at the time of typing, but it has already been visible in New Zealand as these excellent photos taken by Available Light Photography show.


A few years ago I wrote the following poem after witnessing a really clear, full moon. It occurred to me that the way we witness the phases of the moon is all a question of perspective.

Eden Moon

On a clear night when the moon is full

And the chickens gossip softly till late,

Unsure whether to sleep or not,

And sheep murmur as if discussing

Their plans for the following day,

The silvery glow which casts around

Outlines each leaf, each blade of grass

And seems to caress the very outline

Of creation itself.

And as the days pass

And the full moon gives way

To a half moon and then

To ever-diminishing crescents,

She knows that her waning

Is simply our shadow:

It is we who cast our darkness onto her.

On a clear night when the moon is full,

Eden is glimpsed:

Perfection.

A reflected, glorious light:

Light without our shadow.

Grimston, North Yorkshire April 2008

Where do you 'cast a shadow'?


How could you reflect 'light'?


Who needs prayer right now for something overshadowing them?


The current phase of the moon can be seen below - bookmark this page if you want a constantly updated lunar phase calendar!

CURRENT MOON

lunar phases