Heavenly Bodies

They used to say that a full moon did things;

That it changed the way that people behaved.

First it fell by inches, scientists said.

Then foot after foot the moon stepped closer.
Hastening to our world. We awakened,

To the evil thing in the sky, falling,

Failing in its orbit.

It circled ever closer.

That great white shark in the sky
coursed and crossed faster

Through icy, empty space

Toward us.

 

And the cry of human Love

Was first heard by all:

That in our grief we should pull together,

That in our end we should be like brothers,

That in our arms, holding each other,

Our lives must matter!

They must.

 

But each passing night-hour

The earth was scanned by heavenly light,

Like an optometrist

Seeing deeply, darkly into our eyes

Behind a painful light.

And The Pull was felt, and headed,

And men fell to their arms.

Now in the streets guns howled

On both sides, then on all sides,

Until every man was his own side

His half dark, darker, darkest side.

And his battle was hopeless.

And still the moon watched

Ever closer.

 

Until the sun was blotted out
Each month, each week, each day
And blood sacrifices were performed

In daylight or night light,

By ignoble savages,

Scuttling between shells

And starving for protection

In the carcasses of cities

Teaming with Death.
But the blood did nothing,

To stop the moon from closing in,
To stop the watching.

 

And when the sky finally burned

With that unwelcome heavenly body

Penetrating the Earth’s clouds

And I saw what it was that would be lost forever,
I was glad.

Author's Note

All reviews are welcome. Happy Halloween (when it's Halloween).

Reviews

[Hanakuso]

This gave me the chills, really. Incredibly thought-provoking. I loved how you evoked our imagination and it's quite frightening how well I could picture this scene out. "I was glad" - your closing is just perfect. Really great piece!

[Epipsychologist]

Thank you! This is my favorite write in a while. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Hanakuso]

You're welcome! I look forward to more of your works in the future!

[writing mojo]

the gravity of this write is thought provoking. I like the way you used carnivorous images to describe the moon and all that revolves around it's phases high tide the perceptive mood..great piece

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Writing Mojo,
I wanted it to be reminiscent of werewolf lore, hence the carnivorous language. Good spot!
-Epipsychologist

[Abdul Aziz]

Great to see the moon being used to portray such horror. Very creative. This reminds me of a scene from an Isaac Asimov novel.
"And when the sky finally burned
With that unwelcome heavenly body
Penetrating the Earth’s clouds
And I saw what it was that would be lost forever,
I was glad."
Awesome ending. Superb poem!

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Abdul. Usually the ending is (coincidentally) my downfall, I'm glad you liked this one.

[Abdul Aziz]

The ending does have considerable impact on any poem. Yours was strong.

[Baby Ricochet]

I thought this poem was gonna be about girls. Oh well. It's still an interesting poem. The sky over Afghanistan was amazing on clear nights. I didn't know there were that many stars in the sky until then. It's no wonder the ancients got there panties in a wad over the night skies.

[Epipsychologist]

I made the name before writing it. I could throw in a sex scene, I guess.

Thanks for reviewing, Baby.

[Tegon Maus]

Sounds like love to me and onr that was lost.

[Epipsychologist]

I didn't mean for this to sound like love, so much as human nature. but I think that love finds its way into most things that deal with nature and loss. Sad that it should be that way.

[Sami Khalil]

I like this wonderful poem and the analogy of the optometrist too...Creative...:)...............

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Sami.

I'm afraid the optometrist idea was borrowed from "The great Gatsby" (I'm a thief!). On the other hand, I think I would have come to need the metaphor anyway, to attempt to describe the pain of having a bright light pressed up against your eye, with the knowledge that there is something indifferently evaluating you on the other side (I have extensive familiarity with this process).

thanks for reviewing, sorry for this self indulgent response.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:).................

[Frieda P]

I've seen the moon in a different light in your words, usually written about so romantically, this one speaks impending doom, too bad it takes a catastrophe of sorts to have humanity pull together, the ending is killer, muchly enjoyed.

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Frieda. I thought that it would work for an apocalypse poem because the moon is generally thought of in such a romantic way. It drives us to passion, which is why we have the archetype of werewolves. The people join together because of it, but then kill each other over the passion it excites, so that the horror is psychological: the thing was was supposed to embody their hope is their doom.

Thank you for reviewing!

[Epipsychologist]

This write touches me deep, as a moonchild, and a lover of the moon, in all matter(s). This is so very prospective, and deep. It's a thing that makes us philosophize, as poets, as thinkers, as writers, every writer just has a write about the moon, ask, and they will show you a piece... I have many, (maybe too many).... you show here, our moon, does gives us hope, light, but also you display the contradiction of thoughts, and rare reality's. I feel a true apocalypse-denial-love-hate feeling here on your ending.... at least you gambled, like touching the planets, with your forefinger, to participate playing a fine marbles game, and as if you wrote like you played some good poker.... by combining strategy with powerful thoughts amazing piece... I make this a favorite, I like this gravity :D

- Elisa

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks Elisa,

I think you're write about the moon being universally poetic. I do think there's something to its sway over us, but I thought I'd switch it up, so that rather than a kind of mystical force acting on people, it was fear of the impending end. Thanks for reviewing!

Thanks, to you too, maybe it's me, feeling no fear anymore for death, having not mentioned that.... not recognized the fear another can feel still as an impending end.... you write so beautifully. Thanks to you.

[TL Boehm]

Jealous moon in her chilly orbit - raining down the demise of us because she cannot fathom love...this was a chilling write if the moon gave in the the inexorable and obeyed gravity...she would bring the end in fury - and if earth lost its grip - she would spin off into oblivion - and we could see the bottom of the ocean...
A tenuous partnership. this poem has that timbre - that tone that makes the reader feel tiny in the force of nature...well done. Frightening

[Epipsychologist]

Thanks TL. That's basically everything I was going for.

[Tom]

Anarchy and self-destruction until there was nothing left but the glare of a foreboding moon !

A masterful ominous tale my friend, well penned indeed !

[Epipsychologist]

Thank you, Tom. This one was fun to write. I hope you imagined the speaker gritting his teeth when he says "glad" at the end.

[Tom]

Yes indeed!