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Once in a Blue Moon

I saw it at first lowering of the sun.
The road was hail-strewn and white,
gutters cluttered and overflowing.

Light tinged green underbellies.
Low clouds menaced evening shadows,
froze my heart with fear of sliding,

.

slipping over an escarpment.

Persistent, second full orb that month rose high

at the ocean rim and sat, a pleased egg, warped.
The storm gave up, fled to the west
and the moon owned all.
.
Once in a blue moon--  
yes, once in a blue moon--
one’s caught in a punishing storm.

Good came of the light of it, you know.

I have remembered that evening
at the lowering of the sun
and its green storm clouds coated in ice,

.

that evening when the car slid from the road,

silvered in slow motion, caught by

one immense floodlight, hanging low,

.

and I, rolling down a small culvert

broadside

into a sodden cow.

Author notes

One note: The little red car was written off - through hail damage, not the brush with the cow.

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 6 of 6

  • klassy lassy
    January 5

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    I am smiling at the images you paint so vividly in my mind...and Ron, I hope the cow faired all right, although the little red car obviously did not. You write it a little tongue in cheek, but those ice storms are scary and green underbellied clouds would make me a little green, too. ~Karen


  • Freed by Mercy silver member
    November 13, 2009
    Edit | Reply
    I like the tone of this, poetic, but definitely your voice. Love "pleased egg" and this especially:

    " broadside
    into a sodden cow."


  • Bean Sidhe silver member
    October 22, 2009

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    Kudos to you for the playful trick you achieved on your readers! Somehow, I was going in a completely different direction until I came to the very last line. A bit of humor is always a nice surprise, particularly in a case such as this where it is not overdone throughout the poem and indeed is not even expected!

    Also, your word usage is perfect and the imagery you create with it is enviable. I love the "pleased egg, warped" reference to the moon, in specific.

    Great job! Thank you for your entry & best of luck in my contest.

    - Bean Sidhe


  • malmadre gold member
    October 14, 2009

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    It's good to see you taking some time to write, you are often too busy reading what the rest of us are scribbling. Your poem is very descriptive and commemorates that blue moon with the event that will always be in your memory. It's a helpless feeling when driving on ice, the moon and the cow witnessed it all of course. I bet she thought you attempted to jump the moon. "and the moon owned all"


  • Rowan gold member
    October 14, 2009

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    I adored this, one of the best moon poems I've read in a while. Loved;
    "at the ocean rim and sat, a pleased egg, warped." lol. How imaginative!
    Then I like how you used this set-up to take us back to a moment remembered.
    Just good work, Lyndon.


  • frownsnfreckles
    October 14, 2009

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    absolutely delightful Ron! I just love the way your descriptions capture the disinterested beauty all around while a potential tragedy shakes you into full awareness.

1 - 6 of 6