WHEN I STARE AT THE MOON

WHEN I STARE AT THE MOON

     By Travis M. Whitehead
     Originally published in "Boundless 2011."

 

   

When I stare at the moon,

     I remember an ocean I once sailed

         Toward the edge of the sky

          and stars that once guided me

             toward the end of the earth

 

 

Beneath the light of the moon,

     I remember a desert I once crossed

         With loads of silk and frankincense by camelback

            elephants heavy with gold,

                pilgrims bound for the East

 

Within a midnight dream, when the moon bares its soul,

     I hear the drumbeats of a forgotten rhythm

          Buried in my heart

              And feel the heat of the cave fire

                 That once kept me warm

 

    

In the dance of the moon,

     I hear an echo from my distant past,

          A chant,

          The roll of thunder

          The heartbeat of the sea

 

 

And beneath the eternal moon,

     Where the spirit of humanity dwells,

          I sometimes lie on the beach

                 And feel the earth move.