the first full moon of a new year

shards of it
lay easily
in patches of clear light
like a sheet of glass
that one might not know was there
except for the glint of it
the white patch of it
laying easily
like it belongs
bathing the deck
i once took a full moon bath
at a girl scout camp
on a night much like this one
glowing
in the full moon white light
sunbathing
under the moon
feeling it paint me
like the shards
like the sheets of glass
with all the magic of night

we stayed up
she reading about vampires
and me
winstaring
until 4am
when i thought i ought to be a better mother
and sent her to bed
i couldn't stand the loneliness of without her
and followed her, cuddled her
just like she was still a little girl
until i could hear her snoring
and then i extricated my way from under
her covers
and sat staring
at the moon
through the double paned slider
watching the moon
and the reflection of the moon
and the shadows of the growing things
dancing on the edges
of the silver coin
the clear white light
of this first full moonlight
of this opening year

i stared at the moon
just for a moment
that will last forever
as it is written here

seeing

oh without
camera to
capture this
to spread across
the weight of
white--
to capture the
shadow of hand
holding pen
dancing
its up and down
undisciplined
in the rightness
of its letters
cast as they
are the medicine
of shadows
releasing
their contents
holding still
both writers
hand and
dancing pen
there is a world
a way--a
standing
in the way of
the light
that causes
them
all
to be
here
on this
page
this brush
of memory
this veil
of light
lifted
to expose
itself
in
these
red
words

a glimpse cast
and then escaped
there is no re-creation of this
moment
here.