Poetry Inspired by Moonlight
This month I wanted to share one of my latest poems inspired by the magic of moonlight on the water. The shimmer of the water on a lake, the sea, or any body of water as the moon casts it light is enchanting even to the casual eye. Words seem inadequate to describe the beauty of these breath-taking moments.
Over the 4th of July holiday, our family was greeted by a beautiful moon on the lake. It is interesting to see the moon on the water from any vantage point, or the sun for that matter, but my favorite vantage point is from a boat or dock. At that point you are eye level with the water. It takes on another view from that point. The perspective is different and is worth the trouble and effort to view it from that place.
The Glitter Path
This glittering effect is known as “glitter pattern” or “glitter path” and is true for both the sun and moon. The name "glitter pattern" implies a moving and changing phenomenon. Glitter patterns consist of many bright points of light that come and go, blending together to form a smooth path of glittering light when viewed at a distance. If you look closely at a glitter pattern, you can see individual points of light. Each of these points of light is a specular reflection of the sun or moon, called a sun/moon glint. Read more at Glittering Light on Water: NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory
Glints occur on the water where the local slope provides a direct specular reflection of the sun/moon. A perfectly smooth surface would contain only one glint. It is this kind of glass-smooth surface that produces the nearly perfect images we see in nature calendars of mountains reflected in a lake. But if the water surface is rippled by even the slightest wind, reflected images become wrinkled and indistinct. A light source, such as the sun or moon, or even a streetlight or distant illuminated window, is then reflected from multiple spots on the surface. As the wind-rippled surface moves, so do individual glints. But the ensemble of glints produces a glitter pattern whose shape and size can be related to the roughness of the water and the viewing geometry. Read more at The long track of the Moon | Astronomy.com
As an observer and lover of nature, I have admired reflections of the sun and moon on water on multiple occasions and in every season. Whether a “bridge of light” from a crescent moon or the “diamonds on the lake” on a late summer’s afternoon each one reveals the magic of nature’s light on the water. As I was watching the moon dance on the water, “moon drops”, was the phrase that settled in mind. I pondered and played around with some words and then penned the following poem. Enjoy!
Moon Drops
Their steps, like shimmering feathers,
light upon the open sea. On evening’s
wings they glided in, drifting
down columns of air casting
their glitter on the waves.
Dancing to the melody of the quiet
song of the sea, they swayed with
the rhythm of a gentle breeze strolling
to the shore with flickering lights
upon their back.
My thoughts floated and wandered out
into the night, my gaze capsized as I
watched them slip from sturdy shoulders
of the moon in pure delight. Star-borne, they
twinkled beneath the moon’s glowing breath.
My legs swing in lazy stance from the
dock’s edge, geese honk on their journey
home, poised in flight, wild in wonder,
their passing presence guides my dreams
and whisks me away into the unseen.
Rocked by the sea, I gaze again at the
magic of the night as moon drops drip
from ethereal chambers and spill their
glowing beams upon the sleeping sea.