MOON ROSE?

EARTHSHINE

The little silver slipper of light
hiding among billions of stars
in the dark emptiness of space
is the same audacious moon
that dominated the night sky
above earth a fortnight ago.
What I see tonight...a ghostly orb
like a Gypsy’s crystal ball
gone cloudy...makes me think of marbles
you wish had more color, more spark...
Earthshine must be the word for it.

I wonder what it would be like on this night
to stand on the edge of a moon crater
and look out toward earth full bright with day...
Would it be enough for me?
Would it satisfy?
The moon, like us, has two faces.
Could I turn away from earth
and make my way to the unseen side.
For me as it does for every man
a time will come for turning away from earth,
for slipping into space through earthshine.

Full Moon in the South Pacific, January, 2005