Poem: The Lunar Dance

The Lunar Dance

You dance with her from dawn to dusk,

but when the freezing night is done

she pecks your cheek and flies away

towards the great nocturnal sun.

*

And what became of you, young man?

Did you become a rolling stone?

Were you condemned to roam the earth

and never find your way back home?

‘I trekked the earth to find the one

who danced with me so long ago.

And now my bones are frail and weak.

And now my hair is white as snow.’

Your rambling days are almost done.

The final hour is drawing near.

And now, my child, the time has come

to see the one you held so dear.

Damian Balassone is the author of three volumes of poetry and reflections, in Strange Game in a Strange Land (two editions), Here, Bear and Everywhere (illustrated by Jess Racklyeft), and Chime (two editions), while his collection of short poems and epigrams, Love is a Weird Cat, is forthcoming. His poems have also appeared in more than 100 other Australian and international publications, notably in The New York Times, The Australian, The Canberra Times and The Spectator. In noting Damian’s work, Australia’s uncrowned poet laureate, Les Murray, described Damian as a ‘a virtuoso’. More about Damian and his work, can be found here.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. Submissions should be in the body of the email, not as attachments. A poetry book will be awarded to each accepted contributor.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Mayur Gala