John Riley
The Full Moon Is Bathing These Fields
The full moon is bathing these fields richly.
I did not think that I would pass this way again.
Earlier, cloud spirals centred on the setting sun —
Say, shall we see this sky as an astronaut would see it
If one landed on our planet, its floes its continents and depths
So touchingly reduced to dimenions, charted ?
Rats too closely herded kill each other or themselves,
Even those families enjoying the Roman peace of rats.
Pity the astronaut, that social man happy
Perhaps, to live our lowest fantasy.
If one landed on our earth. The noise of the wind in a tree
Startled me, it sounded exactly like a conversation.
But then none of nature is hostile.
Walk where you fear to walk, while you can.
poetrymagazines' note: Copyrighted work reproduced with kind permission of Carcanet Press Limited
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