Content Warning: death, dark themes
Sally Badawi - This is not an ode to the moon
after Summer Farah’s “blame it on the moon baby”
The moon is a sliver of paradise.
The moon is a child of myth.
The moon is a sign for my people.
We trace its curves and hang
stars upon it. Every 28 days
we search for the moon
as it disappears. Somedays I think
the moon is quiet, and I tire
of my own symbolism.
A poet writes the moon
is his guide.
I ask him where
the moon ever took him.
I tell him the truth about the moon,
how it does terrible things.
Yesterday, a girl drowned
in the tide. The moon yanked her
in and we blamed the ocean.
I want you to know
the sea is helpless.
We are helpless.
The moon once stole
some of the earth’s energy
and it’s been trying to conquer
us ever since.
Sally Badawi is an Egyptian-American writer and teacher whose words are published or forthcoming in Diode, Neologism Poetry Journal, Orange Blossom Review, Lost Balloon, among others. She currently serves as an associate poetry editor at Typehouse literary magazine. Find her on Twitter @sallymbadawi.
Photograph: Half Moon by Roselle Farr
Roselle Farr is a full time Business Analyst and a UK based amateur photographer during her spare time. Her photography interests are mainly in wildlife, landscapes and nature, a selection of her photos can be found at her Instagram page - rosellemarie_photos When she isn’t wandering the New Forest or local area with her camera in hand, then she can be found exploring the world of abstract painting.