Did you see the moon last week? The Full Wolf Moon came out on January 6, the 12th night of Christmas. I was struck by a photo from Jone MacCulloch on Instagram. Like Jone, I was taking an early morning walk and tried to capture it with my phone. She used an iPhone 13. They seem to improve the camera feature on every new phone.
When I asked Jone about the photograph, she wrote, “Every morning I take the dog out sometime between 6:30- 7:30 ( when he gets up. I’m always the first up). This was last Friday. I used an IPhone 13. The moon was setting and one thing that struck me was how it is now more northerly in the sky.”
Can you follow your moon muse and write a small poem? Share in the comments and write encouraging comments to other writers.
The moon glows
Margaret Simon, draft
in harmony with the sun–
a perfect reflection
of peace.
Reflections on the Teche 
So happy to see this beautiful photo! Somehow I missed this one, even though I spend almost every early morning/dawn gazing through my balcony doors at the moon, last and first stars, and the treetops.
ROYAL NIGHT
Queen of the Night,
Moon pauses between cloud courtiers
allowing photos from the faraway crowd.
Carol Coven Grannick, Draft
The regal imagery here delights me, Carol!
You captured the entire small moment! Love “cloud couriers”
Ah, yes. Love the Queen of the Night and her royal courtiers!
The moon is so regal. Yes, the Queen. A lovely metaphor, Carol.
Love the way the word pause captures a magical moment.
lovely
Carol, it is splendid thinking that the moon is a royal. Joan , your photo is amazing!
Margaret, what a lovely sense of balance your poem gives. And Jone, great photo! Here’s my draft:
moon
embraced by cloud bed
bright dreams
Jane Heitman Healy, draft
I like the image of the clouds embracing moon. Lovely!
I love the word embraced. Thanks for writing.
I can see that embrace!
ooh –I like the image of moon on a cloudbed
Oh, yes—”cloud bed” and “bright dreams”…such a beautiful image!
Ah, little (or big) moon, asleep on her bed, sends the light for such bright dreams. It comforts knowing how much we love the moon’s beauty! I love your sleepy moon, Jane.
I love all things moon related! I was fortunate to catch the beauty of the Wolf Moon last week. It was so mesmerizing I couldn’t take my eyes off it. But I didn’t take a picture, so thank you for this one, Jone.
Margaret, your words are perfect harmony.
moon peeks through haze
invites intention
from all who gaze
Rose, I like the subtle rhyme and the word “intention,” a word I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. It goes well with my OLW Purpose.
It is so hard to peel yourself away from a glorious moon. Mesmerizing to all who gaze! Your poem catches this mood, Rose.
Great personification of the moon with “peeks”
I thought of you when I saw it, Rose -knowing your love for moons!
This could be a story starter, Rose. Who is gazing and what is his/her/their/its intention? Maybe a multiple point of view story. So much in those 3 lines!
Funny you should say that! I actually have a story like that!
“Invites intention”: so ‘simple’ for this beautiful and complex concept, which I love. ‘Intentional’ was so much a part of the extraordinary early childhood center where I worked, and informs so much of our poets’ lives, I believe.
Thank you Margaret and Jone.
Moonlight at Morn
Oh frosty pearl
at morning’s light,
your silver charm
brings me delight,
my silent walk
‘neath stars and moon
finds glittering beams
on lake and loon.
And how I wish
to write a poem
that proves that
I have brought you home,
to stay.
Janet Clare Fagal, @draft 2023
Lovely ode to the moon. I love the idea that the poem is the gift of the moon’s presence.
Frosty pearl is a beautiful image!
love the longing in your words
This feels like an ode to that frosty pearl–lovely!
Janet, glittering beams-love this thought! How special to bring the moon back through a poem.
Beautiful imagery, Janet, and I love the ending.
Janet, this is such a beautiful and peaceful song to the moon…just lovely!
Janet, this is such a lovely and peaceful song to the moon—beautiful!
Love this photo, Jone! I saw a snake.
Celestial orb
shimmers and blinks
like the eye of a serpent
slithering through clouds
you saw the eye, too!
Wow! I see it now. Such a different perspective!
“Slithering through the clouds” Oh, so sensual. Kinda makes me squirm.
Buffy, I love the word celestial. I also have that in my quick write which I will share in the comments.
Ooh, I can see this –and recoil!
I see it, too—fabulous image and completely different ‘feel’ looking at it that way!
Ooooo a serpent slithering…..a new look at the moon’s possibility! Snaking slowly through the sky. (Though not a fan of snakes, I love that image, Buffy.)
full wolf moon
halo’d pupil
iris blued
wild-eyed wonder
stares back at you
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
January 11, 2023
Love the extended metaphor!
“halo’d pupil” is perfect! Love the perspective of the moon staring back.
Love the words halo’d and blued near each other. Definitely a wild-eyed wonder.
Interesting perspective honing in on the eye of the moon-love it.
Patricia, this reminds me of the nursery rhyme “I see the moon, The moon sees me.” Love your word choices.
Patricia, I love “iris blued/wild-eyed wonder”! Gorgeous image!
Oh the wolf, howling at the moon, seeing himself so far away and so vividly. A fresh view and a great incorporation of the name of this full moon.
And the clouds
gently cradled the moon
like hands hands wrapped around the most delicate and perfect thing
as if to capture light
to harbor it from extinction.
But it is not hands that can shelter light, only the heart.
Thanks, Julie. I post each Wednesday, so come back next week!
And my poem again, with some clarifying punctuation. (I could not find a way to edit the first post. Thanks for the inspiration, Margaret.
And the clouds
gently cradled the moon
like hands
hands wrapped around the most delicate and perfect thing
as if to capture the light
to harbor it from extinction.
But it is not hands that can shelter light, only the heart.
Julie, this is so lovely! I like (and see) “gently cradled” and appreciate your ending.
Julie, those gentle clouds that cradle the moon, a lovely thought and oh, yes, please, capture and provide safe harbor for the glorious moon that lights our world.
Beautiful image of clouds cradling the moon.
Love image of hands cradling the moon, Julie!
Margaret, your end lines are lovely.
Margaret, how beautiful our world, with shining light at night and day, warming, beaming, shining. The peace in the sky should light all our days and ways with wisdom, too. Your poem brings me to that thought.
Margaret, I enjoyed looking at this photo and being amazed by the glow of the moon here in Virginia. My poem comes late but I enjoyed working on it:
layered in velvet
night frames a glowing wolf moon
winter winds howl
heavenly art brushes sky
luminescent beauty reigns
©CVarsalona, 2023
Love “luminescent beauty reigns” so true and captures that gorgeous moon. Moons glow is a special treat when the full moon is so vibrant. I can see the moon from your words, Carol.
Thanks, Janet, for seeing my late entry and commenting. It is always fun to read a commentary from a friend.
Always welcome, Carol, my friend!! It was a sign I was going to “make it” out of this flu that I could compose and wanted to try. This has been a hard recovery but all good now, thank God!!
Ah the layers of velvet sky. Thanks for writing.