Saturday, January 10, 2009


He used to frighten me in the nights of childhood,
the wide adult face, enormous, stern aloft.
I could not imagine such loneliness, such coldness.

But tonight as I drive home over these hilly roads
I see him sinking behind stands of winter trees
and rising again to show his familiar face.

And when he comes into full view over open fields
he looks like a young man who has fallen in love
with the dark earth,

a pale bachelor, well-groomed and full of melancholy,
his round mouth open
as if he had just broken into song.


The Man in the Moon by Billy Collins
from Sailing Alone Around the Room

The full moon tonight is supposed to be the biggest and brightest
of the year! It will appear about 14 percent bigger in our sky
and 30 percent brighter than some other full moons during 2009,
according to NASA. This month's full moon is known as the Wolf
Moon from Native American folklore. January's moon is also
sometimes known as the Old Moon and the Snow Moon.

Alas, our skies are thick with impending snow, so we won't be
able to see the man in all his glory.

photo by willow, october 08

51 comments:

  1. Love the photo and poetry. And I love full moons. Thank you for that!

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  2. Oh, my goodness, Willow! I was just reading some poetry by Billy Collins. You are indeed a kindred spirit! :) The photo is gorgeous. I love the moon.

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  3. It seems I'm always at my best during a full moon. I noticed the moon last night--how gorgeous it was!

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  4. I always thought when I was little that if I really set my mind to it, I could use the moon as a shower and let its pale blue light cascade down my body.

    I still do. Thanks for the poem and the photo.

    Greetings from London.

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  5. It's cloudy here too, but may just maybe we'll catch a glimpse later.

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  6. Miss D and I while out on our early morning walk in darkness yesterday stopped for awhile and we stood out on a grassy point of land that juts into our little harbour. We stood there in the crisp winter air and we watched the moon, a giant orange red ball low in the sky, and nearly full. We watched it as it slowly sank below the horizon and into the sea. It made me feel happy to be alive.

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  7. Willow,
    I'll be dining with my brother tonight near a Mohawk Indian reservation; Akwesasne.
    We'll be sure to gaze upon the Wolf Moon!
    rel

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  8. I'm not familiar with Billy Collins, but now I want to be. I love the poem! ~Lori

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  9. Did they call it a "Wolf moon", because wolves literally howled at it more than an ordinary one?
    Also loved the poem. Determined to look him up.

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  10. Willow, I love this poem--Billy Collins is one of my favorites...I will look for the moon tonight through all the snow--it will be hiding back there perhaps but i'll look!

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  11. I was all excited about the moon but we are having a snow storm instead.
    Woe!
    Billy Collins is great.
    Merisi in Vienna also loves him.

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  12. This is a huge one for us moonie Cancers.....they've never frightened me - the bigger the better ! But I loved the poem anyway.

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  14. GMTA sister, I posted a moon poem today, and I was going to post a link to read a bit about it, but it kept screwing up my formatting ... so I didn't.

    Anywho!!! I think we'll be able to see the moon here, in Omaha, NE. I think the skies are supposed to be clear. You know like that movie, The Day After Tomorrow? The moment before the humanity killing FREEZE comes on. I think our skies are supposed to be like that. Tonight.

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  15. Here in Alaska we'll get a full view of the full moon, because the skies are clear, and cold. . . this morning we were amazed how fast the moon set this morning at 9:30 AM, it was fully set and light out at 9:34. It was big and beautiful.

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  16. i just love the poem. it really speaks to me. and your photo is fantastic. i'm very disappointed that it is completely overcast here so we won't see it either. bummer!

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  17. I remember the big full moons of my childhood in the Caribbean. I remember once we were in the mountains, and as the car turned and turned over steep cliffs and inner country roads I felt ver frightened by the big moon. I yelled from the backseat of the car- "Mom, the moon is following us!!!!" I will be peeking out the window for the big moon....

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  18. He was so big and bright through the window last night I could almost read by him. I had no idea this was to be the biggest of the year!! I shall appreciate it all the more. Thank you!

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  19. Beautiful photo! Such a magical night shot...and it's always a treat to read Collins.

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  20. Hello, lovely to find someone who appreciates poetry, being a poet I appreciate That! :) you have a lovely mind, and i enjoy your blog.

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  21. Wish I could see the full moon tonight. We are having a huge snow storm.

    Love that poem. You did it again!

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  22. Taking down the Christmas tree with a warm fire and music...you're doing it the right way!!
    Always lovin the Billy Collins...we will have a clear night so I'll take a look. Thanks for the moon information.

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  23. It's overcast here, but wasn't last night. The moon was gorgeous - both scary and irresistible as always.

    Great poem!

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  24. I'll have to show this to my grandchildren - ages 3 & 5. Yesterday just happened to be a nice day, temps in the upper 50's. Last night I was in the kitchen cooking a new recipe and the kids wanted to go out back and swing. It was dark already but still rather nice. From the open kitchen door I could hear them talking about the moon. I looked out and saw the most beautiful large moon shining from the sky above them. Riley, the five year said it looked like the biggest moon he had ever seen, and then Lila, the three year old made up a song about it and sang it as she was swinging. The song didn't make much sense and Riley commented on it. I told him people have weird thoughts during a full moon and he said, "she has weird thoughts everyday." It was so cute. Kim

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  25. I love full moons like this, particularly at the sea. We spend time in the summer at a beach on Long Island Sound, and when that full moon rises and drops its reflection on the water, it's like a liquid painting.

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  26. Why do I have this desire to howl?

    Is my hair longer than normal? On my legs I mean.

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  27. Cloudy here too. :(

    'a pale bachelor..full of melancholy'

    Heck, that's me!

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  28. Thanks for the facts on tonights moon.Hope your sky's cleared, it's beautiful, if not I'll share mine http://kap-maria.blogspot.com/2009/01/full-moon.html

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  29. Thanks for the facts on tonights moon. It is beautiful, hope you sky cleared, if not I'll share mine
    http://kap-maria.blogspot.com/2009/01/full-moon.html

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  30. Pretty! There is supposed to be one huge full moon tonight!

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  31. There's a beautiful moon here right now - it's 4:20am, with a lovely fresh breeze - no more snow or ice at present, wish I didn't have to get some sleep!

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  32. Wonderfully atmospheric picture; beautiful poem, full of light and dark contrast, to match!

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  33. Nice idea. I wanted the poem to keep the mystery going for a bit longer - never satisfied, me!

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  34. Billy Collins writes poetry like it should be written. He is one of my heros. Pappy

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  35. Lovely poem, it is the story of my life that when anything spectacular is about to happen - full moon, shooting stars, eclipse - there will be heavy cloud. I love moonlight. So much more subtle than sunlight.

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  36. Today is my lil' Brother's birthday, he has been very moody the last couple of days, as the full moon approaches, methinks, I think this Wolf Moon has possessed him. I'll send him a birthday email and stay way clear of the reprocussions...trust me!

    s

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  37. I'd also never heard of Billy Collins but am going to search him out

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  38. Billy Collins is #1 for me.

    Frightened by the pale bachelor? Let's not forget his dark side.

    Thanks so much for finding this. The moon in NYC? It'll be there tonight!

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  39. Nice photo and poem. I did see the moon, behind a haze of cloud. It lit up the house for several wonderful nights.

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  40. Wonderful poem Willow and lovely photograph as always, xv.

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  41. I heard more snow was heading your way. Lovely poem and photo of the old guy! Billy Collins is great, isn't he!? Hope you're stocked up with food in the larder, Willow--stay warm!

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  42. A Brush, the five inches of snow that was supposed to hit us passed us over! My larder was stocked and I was even looking forward to a big dump of the white stuff. Oh well.

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  43. Wow - the skies were clear and I sleep under the old glass block window on the west side of the church. In the early hours I awoke and for a magical moment there were 20 full moons over me.

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  44. I'm sorry I missed the moon last night. It was pouring rain here.

    I just posted the answers to your interview on my blog. I had to think about your questions for a while. You would make a good Barbara Walters.

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  45. I was that moon and worked in my garden by its bright, shimmering light.

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  46. How interesting. Love the poem. I just observed the moon last night as well as a few days back and marvelled at her brilliance.

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  47. Mmm, I think it's interesting that in the U.S. we always think of the moon as male, as in "Man in the Moon", but in Europe and other parts of the world, the moon is considered female.

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  48. BW, just read some of your questions you asked on some of the other blogs. Love this one for StevieWren:

    "5. Besides your children and grandchildren, what is your most treasured possession?"
    --Wow. Great question and great questions, Willow!

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  49. Beautiful imagery..another of my favorite Billy Collins poems...unfortunately the moon was not to be seen in this cloudy part of the world...

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  50. How I love a big, beautiful, full moon! It has been so bright outside the past two nights; unbelievably so, actually.

    Sarah

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  51. gorgeous shot! your blog header is wonderful too!

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)