Bohemia Village Voice

From Bohemian Bouquet, published 1980 by The Bohemians.

 

Interacts

The kitchen is full of light and sound

Insistent phone rings – I go running

My son it is, reminding us there’s an eclipse

Go out and look he is saying – /of the moon

What! – with the Leeds piano competitors playing! –

 

So we leave the house untended with all light

And from the dark gaze up /blazing

At the depleted night queen, pinned by shadow

Almost applied now, only a crescent persisting.

Tutored in present science, we are none the less

Awed, though more briefly than our ancient kin

Undoubtedly would have been.

Going soon indoors, we leave the moon calm

In her temporary scene

And resume exciting entertainment

On the television screen.

 

Later, when we had thought to sleep,

The bright disc fully recovered from belittlement

Supreme and militant-seeming

Strongly confronts my window, overpowering

The protective curtains,

Making me toss in a sleepless sea.

At last, reluctantly

I take a brown glass bottle from its niche

Tip into my hand a score of

Little white moons, full circles they

All but one, which had suffered encroachment

Of a past wakeful night’s consuming

Remaining half phased.

I select and swallow this remnant, rather ashamed –

Now celestial boat, terrestrial sleeper ply

Each an appropriate sky.

 

Marjorie Cole