I Watched the Moon

Submitted by Hannah W. on Mon, 01/03/2011 - 15:51

I watched the moon. I watched it wax and wane
I watched it take on different shapes.
I watched it thin, I watched it grow,
and somehow it felt good to know
Every night is not the same.
The weather and the seasons change.

They measure the tides that go in and out
they know how to predict the clouds.
There are scientific names for phases,
a term for each way the moon looks and changes.

They name the waters, they name the stars
they view the world from inside their cars.
They document and measure wind
even though they can’t feel it on their skin.

They want me to be like them, to learn the names
to deny a season until its proper date.
They want me to keep my eyes fixed straight ahead,
but I choose to look up at the moon instead.

I know that the wind will blow where it may,
whether or not you give it a name.
I know that the tides will go out and in
whether or not you measure them.  

And I watch the moon. I watch it wax and wane
I watch it take on different shapes.
I watch it thin, I watch it grow
and here is something else I know:
Every night is not the same.
The weather and the seasons change.

Author's age when written
15
Genre
Poetry
Tags
moon
nature
seasons
changes
people
wild
city
moon phases
tame
cars

Comments

Bernadette

Mon, 01/03/2011 - 21:33

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I like this a lot.......there is something about watching the moon......and things do go on without our measuring or anything.

also, this had an awesome flow!

E

Tue, 01/04/2011 - 01:15

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I love it. It's wonderful that somebody agrees with the fact that we would get on just fine without our measurements and meddling. The way the words flowed were like music :)

"You were not meant to fit into a shallow box built by someone else." -J. Raymond

Anna

Tue, 01/04/2011 - 20:13

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I don't know how you meant this poem to be taken, but since I'm going through a spiritual patch of darkness right now, I found this oddly comforting. "Every night is not the same..." The moon waxes and wanes... Like the Doctor said: "Halfway out of the dark."

I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right. --The Book Thief

Hannah W.

Thu, 01/06/2011 - 17:33

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I'm glad this was something of a comfort. And, as a general rule, none of my poems are meant to be taken one way or the other. Same goes for pretty much everything I write... In fact, there have been several times when someone has told me their interpretation of one of my writings, and it's way off what I was thinking while writing it, but then I think, "Wow, that totally fits!"

Annie

Wed, 01/05/2011 - 16:11

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 I love this Hannah! I read this out loud, because poetry always sounds amazing that way, and the flow was beautiful. You did a great job :) It is comforting to know that every night isn't the same, and that it always changes. Watching the moon is one of my favorite things to do. 

paperpoet

Thu, 01/06/2011 - 18:33

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I am always thrilled to see any poem with your name on it. You have a command on language that is both admirable and enviable. Your words flow in beautiful, complex and original ways that never fail to touch the reader in a personal way.

Keep on writing, because I love to read them.

Elizabeth

Thu, 01/06/2011 - 20:47

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Hannah, this is a beautiful poem! I really liked this part:

There are scientific names for phases,
a term for each way the moon looks and changes.

It has an awesome sound to it.... The whole poem flows so nicely...

************

The Holy Spirit is the quiet guest of our soul." -St. Augustine

Clare Marie

Thu, 01/13/2011 - 21:04

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 This is beautiful, Hannah!  You've inspired me and made me want to get back to writing poetry....

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." -Bilbo Baggins [The Lord of the Rings]