I See the Moon ... the Moon Sees You ...
last night between a memory and a dream ~
As a young mother married to a mountain guide who traveled the world, "I see the moon ... the moon sees you" became our little family's way of feeling connected no matter where we were. A text, a photo, and these eight words always made me feel a little less lonely. I hope, wherever you are, you see and are seen by the moon and all those around you.
Worm Moon
A hot blitz spills from my pulsing heart,
courses through my aching veins,
a thrilling seethe that gently awakens me
between a memory and a dream.*
Ah, right … of course, the Worm Moon.
The March Moon.
The slightest-hope-of-spring Moon.
The one she warned would be a “doozie” that
glazes the powdery slopes of the Tetons.
The kisses-a-blanket-of-wind-drifted-snow and
reflects-her-glory-back-to-the-heavens Moon.
I stretch and appreciate the coyote’s yelping and whisper,
"It’s been a while since I heard from you."
The Great Horned Owl replies from my eave,
so close I get up, press my nose to the frosty screen,
and let the cold breeze that smells of change
calm me.
A doozie indeed, I think, and
remember her freckled grin
and curious cobalt eyes.
She who heals.
She who is a revolution,
She who speaks to water,
She who once told me,
when I confessed that I felt called to her,
that she was me
and that my unleashing,
like tonight’s Midnight Moon
was all just a gift from within.
From the Farmer’s Almanac:
The Surprising Truth Behind the Worm Moon Name
March’s full Moon goes by the name Worm Moon. For many years, we thought this name referred to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. This invites robins and other birds to feed—a true sign of spring!
However, more research revealed another explanation. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and other Native American tribes and he wrote that the name Worm Moon refers to a different sort of “worm”—beetle larvae—which begin to emerge from the thawing bark of trees and other winter hideouts at this time.
Thanks for reading this far! Sharing poetry is like the anticipation of jumping into a cold plunge for me. I hope you see the Worm Moon tonight! *credit: "between a memory and a dream" came to me today via the radio; You Don't Know How it Feels by fellow Libra, Tom Petty, RIP.
For those who love nature and poetry - Terra Firma is an amazing podcast that pairs reflections on nature with soundscapes collected in wild places by CMarie Fuhrman, an Indigenous poet, and writer, with audio gathered by outdoor sound recordist Jacob Job.
