Slice Of Life Story Challenge March 20 -Moon Memories and Moments

Moon Moments

The moon has been a recurring theme in my writing. As a boy I pondered much thought regarding its magnificence. 

 I would lie in my bed staring up and out the window, imagining I could see a face on that distant orb. It remained a mystery. 

 In time, I witnessed Neil Armstrong's first tentative steps upon the moon's surface while viewing a somewhat grainy black and white television set during my very first year of teaching.

 I have stood under its full beaming reflection in the middle of Australia's heartland and marveled at the light it provided in that vast open space. 

 I recall my father crooning the words, 'Blue moon, I saw you standing alone...' The moon even features in the title of my latest book of poetry. The moon has a recurring presence in many phases of my life. My moon memories are many.

 These days, part of my nightly routine is to take, Boo,the Wonder Dog out for her end of evening snuffle and pee. She waddles down the driveway head bowed, while I follow, intent on a little stargazing under the milky way. The air is cool and fresh and the street is stripped of noise at this hour. 

 Boo likes to take her own sweet time doing what needs to be done, and I continue to gaze skyward. She scampers inside to her bed, while I saunter back beneath the moonlight.

 So, it is hardly surprising that I would come to write a poem about the moon. When we have recurring ideas or thoughts, sooner or later, we feel an urge to capture those thoughts in writing. 

 These words emerged in my notebook. I share them here with you dear reader.
The Moon And Me

 The moon seems bright
In the sky tonight.
It glows like a child's smile.
I witnessed its great majesty close to midnight
when I took my dog out for her end of evening snuffle and wander.

 In all honesty,
I should have lingered longer.
-And paid the moon its due attention.

 But for me and the moon,
It is an enduring relationship of fleeting admiration.

 It’s always been like that
for the moon and me.


Comments

  1. Tara20 March 2017 at 20:26

    I never feel that I pay the moon the attention that it deserves...your lovely poem is a reminder to do so.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright21 March 2017 at 09:20

      The moon does have special appeal Tara. Good luck with your observances.

      Delete
  2. Linda B21 March 2017 at 10:04

    I've loved the moon through my life, too, and did a lot of moon journaling with my students, a fond memory of nighttime lessons. I love that you wrote it "glows like a child's smile", a new idea. Walking with your dog sounds like a restful time, especially when the moon is bright. Thanks, Alan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright21 March 2017 at 10:22

      I'm glad we share the moon Linda. Moon journaliing, I like that term.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular With Other Visitors

Writing Opposite Poems

Image
 O pp o s ite  P oem s In his book, ' How To Write Poetry,'  Paul Janeczko presents the idea of opposite poems. Paul suggests they could also be referred to as antonym poems. This is wordplay and it's fun to try. Here are some examples Paul provides to help us see very clearly how these short little poems work. I think the opposite of chair Is sitting down with nothing there What is the opposite of kind? A goat that butts you from behind Paul Janeczko You will  notice the poems are written in rhyming couplets. They can be extended so long as you remember to write in couplets. Paul shows us how this is done. What is the opposite of new? Stale gum that's hard to chew A hot-dog roll as hard as rock Or a soiled and smelly forgotten sock You might notice that some of Paul's opposite Poems begin with a question. The remainder of the poem answer the question posed. Opposite poems are a challenge, but it is a challenge worth trying. Not eve...
Read more

Writing About Reading - Reading Reflection Journals:

Image
UPDATED February 2022 Writing in response to literature can be a great way for students to organize their thoughts, explore what they think, and generate ideas. One of the strengths of writing in journals is that it allows students to capture all of those great ideas that generally float off into the air during the discussion.  Journal writing can also become drudgery if students are asked to write too often, given little choice or inspiration in what to write, or if they simply don't have anything to say. While some students eagerly share their impressions about selections they have read in class discussions, others are less comfortable and keep their thoughts to themselves. In an effort to encourage all students to think more about what they read and confidently share their observations and opinions, some teachers are turning to the reading reflection journal and are gaining insights they never anticipated.  The Value of Reflection Journals   Journals assist teachers...
Read more

Learning How to 'Zoom In' When Writing

Image
It is important for young writers to understand that not all parts of a story are equal. There are parts through which a writer moves quickly, and important parts where the writer slows down and lingers a while. This is where the writer might intensify the action or reveal the character’s reactions in greater detail. Young writers need to know that this is a deliberate strategy on the part of the author. The author consciously zooms in. The writer uses a magnifying glass to view a part of the story more closely; to focus on a moment and to slow down time. When an important part of the story is enlarged upon, it   is a signal to the reader, that this part of the story is important. The strategy of ‘zooming in’ goes by many names: ‘exploding a moment’ ‘magnifying a moment’, ‘hotspot’ ‘snapshot’, ‘adding detail’ or ‘slowing the action.’  What ever the name, the idea is the same. The author writes in a way that expands a significant part of the story with the intentio...
Read more

Slice Of Life Story-The Trials Of A Left Handed Writer

Image
Amazingly I learnt to write using my left hand. An achievement against the prevailing beliefs of the day. My very first teacher saw it as her mission in life to ‘fix’ the poor, wretched little boy suffering from what she clearly diagnosed as left handed disease. She must have thought, 'This child must be re formatted! If he remains left handed he will be forever condemned to writing in a scrawl that no one will be able to read. Ugly hand, ugly hand.' ...They tried to say it couldn't be done, it mustn't be done. They took the pencil out of my left hand and placed it in my right hand. It felt unnatural. It felt weird. It was not right. More to the point it was not left. I was not about to conform. At least they didn't try tying my hand behind my back. Watch me I said. I may be an oddball, left handed scribbler but I am a determined oddball. I mean how boring would the world be if everyone wrote with their right hand? So I dug my toes in –and my hands to...
Read more

Exploring Themes in Poetry With Emerging Writers

Image
There is so much more to poetry than haiku and acrostics. Yet, so many young poets never get to experience the rich breadth of poetry beyond these highly structured forms. Why? Primarily, it’s about their teachers comfort levels with poetry. We often teach to what we know, meaning that being adventurous and taking young poets into new realms is not part of the poetic landscape for many. This sells young poets and poetry itself short. Last week I had the pleasure to again work with a group of young poets from Derrimut Primary School grade 5/6 in Melbourne’s west. We have been exploring patterns and repetition in poetry. We have explored personification as a literary device to develop the writing of poetry. We delved into the idea of writing through a mask to provide inanimate and animate entities with a voice. They told stories in words from their own perspective. On this occasion we again went to the edges and began to explore poetry through themes. We discussed a range ...
Read more