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Poem: Moon and Mirrors

Reflections on nature, the ever-changing seasons, and life without loved ones in a lockdown year are the thoughts behind this week’s Poet’s Corner contribution from Valerie Derry.

Dec 01, 2021, updated Dec 01, 2021

Moon and Mirrors

The dance begins again – the
seasons turn and Earth strips off
her veil. Summer will have her
wealth, florals and gold, to weave
in some new tapestry for us…
Spiders that hid from winter
know the sun will call them out
to set up snares between your
dreaming trees… Time spins
across the leaves and through
our veins – a tree branch
thickens – an artery grows hard –
a young bird leaves the nest –
another dies – a wasp attacks
a huntsman in the short
dance of life.

Enjoy the sunlight, feel it
prickle your skin before
the shadows drop and pacify.
Once, in a schoolroom, you
watched a sliver of shadow
slide across the desk, a
reminder of precious light
being doled to Earth.

Enjoy the moonlight, make
it a comfort, when the sun
is gone, to tide us over till
the day ignites, for moonlight
never burns or makes us fade.
A child once asked you
if the moon could bite.

You step into the stream,
a child of Earth, and constant
waves wash over you. Don’t
be afraid, there is another
side, and someone waits for
you – standing there in the
shadows – someone you love.
The dance goes on, the
seasons turn again…

Valerie Derry lives on the New South Wales Central Coast. A dedicated language student in her school years, she is a retired English teacher and member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers. Her poems have appeared previously in the former Poets’ Union of New South Wales’ journal ‘Five Bells’, and ‘Poet’s Corner’.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.
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