Do you ever wonder why the moon seems more poetic than the mighty sun? Why do poets turn to the moon for heartfelt inspiration?
When the dashing Romeo tried to woe the beautiful Juliet on her balcony, the moon was their only witness. Similarly, many star-crossed lovers take to the covers of the night to elope or spend a few precious moments together. Millions of confessions are made under the night sky. Some of these confessions are addressed to other people, but others are addressed to the universe, with no intended recipient but the moon.
The moon knows too many secrets—secrets from way, way back and secrets that still haunt people to this day. Indeed, if the moon can speak, what secrets will it tell?
Will it tell us about the dreams and hopes of unreciprocated love? Will it bring us promises of long-distance relationships? Or will we hear the wails for a love lost to death?
Far away in distant places, some men are off to war, leaving at home the love of their lives. The moon knows of their longing for safety in the warm embrace of their loved ones. The moon knows their doubt and fear, and the moon inspires them to make a safe and hasty return home.
Every traveler the world over knows the phases of the moon, and in their travelers to far and strange places, they are comforted by the thought that the moon will come and usher in a new morning.
Many do not have the pleasure of watching the moon in its glory at night. People can be too preoccupied to notice, but the moon will still grace the night with its presence and continue to listen—even unintentionally—to the secrets of the night.
It doesn’t matter what your race or religion is. The moon does not make biases or harsh judgment. It seems the moon was created not just to affect tides, but to absorb the longings and wishes of the night.
I imagine the moon like a sponge, a rather full one, and although it drips, it drips with nothing but inspiration. I have told the moon many secrets. I have shared poetry with the moon. In return, the moon has told me secrets I share in my poems.
