by Rick Kuenning
A full harvest moon, golden and still,
Falls without motion toward a dim horizon
Outlined by shadowy rooflines, dark trees.
Light bathes a stately sweep of quiet clouds.
Over this quiet space where I stand, alone, seeing.
Diamond-bright, Jupiter rides the moon’s crown,
Distant harmony describing the immeasurable,
The perpetual pathways along which drift the
Heavenly bodies, vast, kindred, forever apart.
Somewhere above there is the rumble of a jet.
Winking red lights pass to another horizon.
Here, a cricket summons the dark morning.
The lane is aglow with the moon’s soft light.
I see you there through the bare branches,
Giant, gazing at me from across the galaxy,
Peaceful old friend, your sword sheathed,
Jeweled belt, red ruby on your shoulder!
Perhaps you are taking in the fair Pleiades,
Those glittering beauties going before you,
Their dark demure skirts gathered behind
The silver wisps of cloud far over my head?
The streets all around me are asleep, so late
This morn. I stand before this silent house.
I see the soft flicker of reflected light in the
Calm, silent house across the empty street.
I feel the long shadow of the house falling
Away, downhill, behind. The moon, again,
Serene, presiding over this quiet moment,
The sleepless stars, the clouds, the cricket.
The passengers sleep in their high place
In the sky, the moon, the planets, aligned
Along their grand sweeping celestial track,
And I stand here, seeing, among them all.
After decades as an expatriate in Europe, Rick Kuenning lives in western North Carolina. His work reflects a keen interest in nature, art, culture, and religious studies. It also draws on a long career in international relations and national policy. His creativity is often sparked by dialogue with other poems. He is awed by nature, angered by injustice, and moved by the stories of those whose voices are not heard.
He reads widely, enjoys cooking, and listens to classical and popular music. His poems are forthcoming in Apricity Magazine, Cantos, El Portal, I-70 Review, Medicine and Meaning, Mount Hope Magazine, Perceptions Magazine, The Phoenix, Rue Scribe, Shark Reef, Slab, Steam Ticket, and Variant.
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