THE MOON CIRCLE
—Joyce Odam, Sacramento
(based on “Maiden Moon” etching by Elaine B. Rothwell)
Death is dancing with the maiden in the moonlight.
He has made a ring of light for them to dance in.
She lifts the hoop of light
and dances away from him.
He is left standing in the circle
where he is powerless to follow.
She has stolen the power of his intention
with her refusal, and thus has transcended
both light and dark. Death waits—and waits—
until she is through dancing and will return to him.
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MOON-TRANCE
—Joyce Odam
(based on Trance, 1953, William Baziotes)
Whatever is dark here is dark for itself.
The freed form merges and will sleep.
The dream
will be released—ensweep
the mind
and send its secrets deep.
The moon of power
will retreat—
allowing the mind distortion
of what surrounding dream-clouds keep.
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THE MUSIC IN THE WATER
—Joyce Odam
It is the music in the water when I look in
the moon flows through my hair
fish dart through my eyes
my hand meets my hand and the world trembles
I take the cold to my body like a dream
a star falls
I watch it float
a black leaf drifts down over my shoulder
_________________
VANITY ADORING THE FULL MOON,
THE FULL MOON ADORING BACK
—Joyce Odam
(based on a drawing by Art Vela, Big Moon Quarterly)
O, Distant Moon, I am sitting here
in a frame of thought,
wearing my daydream costume
as I watch you glimmer and
grow fuller until you
luminate the night
with such a light
I am absorbed by it.
I shimmer and grow unreal:
I am a child of some lost time
in some idyllic history.
You follow my transformation:
someone plays music…
someone I almost love…
someone I almost know…
it saddens you;
clouds come between.
O, Jealous Moon…I know…I know…
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Today's LittleNip:
WHITTLER
—Joyce Odam
Moon-carver, restless
with the changes of the year,
sits in bright fullness
whittling songs for the crickets
out of summer’s loud, thin air.
__________________
—Medusa
Strange Moon—Photo Enhancement by Bob van Alphen
