Lunar

Luna moth on a black walnut tree

Hours old,
the luna moth’s wings still look
as if they don’t fit.

*

Full moon.
The starving kitten
cries for milk.

*

At school,
the squire’s moon-faced daughter
was one of many Emilys.

*

Forty years on,
I remember that new-book smell:
You Will Go To The Moon.

*

Entering a patch of moonlight
in the forest,
my sudden boots.

About Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta (bio) crowd-sources his problems by following his gut, which he shares with one quadrillion of his closest microbial friends --- a tight-knit, symbiotic community comprising some 500 different species of bacteria, fungi, and protozoa.
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21 Responses to Lunar

  1. Dick says:

    Sharp, clear and punchy as ever, Dave. Great pic too.

  2. dale says:

    The last is my favorite.

  3. sarah b says:

    Never in my life thought of the adjective ‘sudden” to describe “boots” but of course it works. Great!

  4. Peg Bainbridge says:

    Love this, Dave, pic and poem, no matter which.

  5. leslee says:

    Very nice. All of them, together.

  6. I love your poems, they make me smile…lovely photos as well!
    Chris

  7. Glorious Luna moth! And I especially like the fourth haiku. It reminds me of the old children’s books about the moon and space exploration that I used to read when I was a kid.

  8. lucas says:

    Funny how each has a favorite.

    I adore the second. Simply perfect. As it turns out, I was looking at the moon last night, and I couldn’t come up with anything interesting to say about it. But you have, here.

  9. Laura says:

    I like all of these quite a bit. I saw a huge lunar moth myself this past Sunday evening, on the edge of the forest near a labyrinth just after dusk. The light was dark green and wouldn’t yield a good photograph to me. I had thought of writing something and may still…or not…this is wonderful. I love the sudden boots especially but also the starving kitten.

  10. SB says:

    Yes, ‘simply perfect’.

  11. Dave says:

    Hi everyone – Thanks for all the generous words. These were a little on the experimental side, and were written much too quickly, so I’m glad several of them made a hit.

  12. elizabeth says:

    I’m with Lucas in liking the second best, but it’s that perfect, luminous green at the top that really catches my eye. All these years I’ve been struggling to put a name to the color I keep painting my walls; now I can call it luna-moth green.

  13. happyflower says:

    I love this poem very much! I am a new reader and enjoy your blog. :-)

  14. Wonderful moon poems, Dave. And, love that picture. Hope all is well.

  15. beth says:

    Sheesh, you can tell how absent I’ve been by the fact that I didn’t comment immediately on this one. Gorgeous photo of my favorite moth, and terrific poems. (I like the Emilys.)

    • Dave says:

      Thanks! Glad you liked the Emilys one. Writing a haiku about something historical, not directly experienced (except through the medium of a live play) felt a little weird.

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