Underneath the Stars

a poem | the moon | Samhain

As I sit here and write this, the garden is shrouded in morning mist. It’s so still, as if time has frozen. Even the bird feeder is empty and the only sign of wildlife is a row of crystal-like spider webs, holding the tiniest of water droplets. They glisten, suspended from branch to branch of the rowan.

At this time of year, the urge to hibernate is strong. And although daily life marches on as if we’re all productivity machines, I can feel myself withdraw in ways that feel within my control. I don’t feel like I have many words at the moment, but I have art, nature and music—my own sacred trinity.

I wrote a poem about the lengthening nights at this time of year. There are many aspects of this that I don’t enjoy, such as driving in the dark and having less time in the woods. But there are also aspects that I love. One of those is the longer opportunity to stargaze…

Cloak

Walking a compass through a sky of coal
Light glints through black, a mine of rock and mist
The never ending map of changing guides 
New landscapes drawn in clouds of gas and dust 

Pinned thread from star to star, spun into tales
Narrating, navigating firmaments
Dew on my toes and breath that turns to steam 
Under the vast expanse I find relief

A waxing crescent pierces through the dark 
The pull of inner tides begins again
Small pools of light that catch the covert cracks 
Is it even a night without a moon? 

Below, the skulk of orange fur and bone
Of mole and badger, owl and bat and moth 
Sharing the dark with grainy silhouettes 
The fleeting hours where secrets come alive 

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The moon through my eyes

I took the series of photos below during a perigean full moon. Whatever the time of year, I watch the sky intently, waiting for clear nights when I grab my camera and tripod and lose hours capturing one of my favourite subjects. Clouds are entirely unpredictable—which of course is also part of their beauty—always moving faster than I expect, so two shots are never the same.

Image credit: Joanna Taylor

Image credit: Joanna Taylor

Image credit: Joanna Taylor

Image credit: Joanna Taylor

Image credit: Joanna Taylor

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How do you feel at this time of year? Does it change your creativity in any way?

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Until next time,

Jo.