Moonshadows
They lie on the surface without sinking in.
All around them is darkness that does not soak into them.
The moon causes but does not shape them.
What shapes them is what you have chosen to surround yourself with.
Trees or perhaps tall horses that stand unflinching in the moonlight,
making patterns of themselves on the front of your world.
Moonshadows are not the moon.
They are just a hint of it, altered by what comes between them.
Moon shadows are not today what they were yesterday.
They change every night and pull you along with them.
They filter out light but show you precisely where it is by its absence.
Moon Pie
When the moon is full
and everything ripe on the vine
I must have pie
juice running from the crisp crust
vanilla ice cream clouding its surface like clouds over the moon.
I bite into the piece like a slice of the moon..
like swiss cheese on apple pie.
slice of the moon.
moon pie.
For dVerse Poets “Stepping Out of the World” Photo by John McKaveney: Bright Moon.
Go HERE to see how others responded to the prompt.

The second poem is so yummy. The first one is very deep Judy.
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Thanks, always, for your kind consideration of my poems, Sadje.
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You’re most welcome 🙏🏼
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Love that you’ve posted two entirely different poems for the same photo! Different in mood, different in reflection. The second is fun, light-hearted and dare I say, delectable? Moon pie…mmmm yum! The first is more thoughtful, thinking about shadows and light and what’s there and what’s not. Wonderful both!
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There is always the potential for either side of us to respond to a prompt. In this case, both sides won out.
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Very nicely done, Judy. You poem reminds me of what happens with the coming eclipse in a few day from now. You moon pie sounds delicious.
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Isn’t the world’s response to this eclipse amazing? It shows there is still wonder in simple things… if anything in the universe can be considered simple.
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It is becoming a big deal. Most interesting.
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First poem struck my fancy … second poem struck my palate. Wonderful poetry, well done.
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Mind and tummy. What else is there?
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So enjoyed both poems, Judy. Two takes, both beautiful.
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Thanks, Dora!
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So different the two of them … the first I could not refrain from remembering that song moonlight shadow… and i like the thought of what we se in the moonshadow’s absense,… the second made me hungry and smile.
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Do you mean Moonshadow, Moonshadow? I loved that song.
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Did you ever eat at Moonshadow is Malibu? Right over the water, you can watch the rays swimming underneath as you eat dinner. A most romantic place!
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Yes.. Loved it. I think I wrote a poem about it once.
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The Chuang Tzu talks about Umbra and Penumbra. I see them as two shadow children here, playing in meadows deep into the night.
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Yes.. I love the word penumbra. Forgottenman and I have often spoken about favorite words. Penultimate is a favorite for both of us and penumbra is another favorite of mine. I wrote a poem, Suttee, in which the sacrificed wife lifts into a penumbra.
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I especially love your “moon pie”!
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The second one resulted in my wanting pie, the first speaks to my love of the night.
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