eclipse
My Poem “Light and Dark”
There will always be things
that happen in life
that will forever be
out of our control...
there will always be things
that happen in the universe
that will happen whether
we observe them or not...
there will always be things
that happen to people
at a particular time,
in a particular place,
that will bind them to one another...
there will always be things
that happen that will have
a profound effect on people
in different ways.
At the time of an eclipse -
when people gather together
to watch the moon align perfectly
in between the Earth and the Sun
and obscure its light for a short time -
people young and old
can be brought to tears,
the usually talkative can be silenced,
and those who wonder
whether we are alone in the universe
look up and are given a sign,
as the Moon casts its shadow upon the Earth,
and there is always a palpable mixture
of thoughts, feelings, and emotions
that rise to the surface
of the collective consciousness
of individuals who may have
been looking forward
to what is taking place
for a long time -
because witnessing an eclipse
is, and has always been,
considered special, sacred, and momentous -
because it is an occurrence of significance
that is both predictable, and yet rare.
After light returns
to a world that has been
veiled in darkness,
there is always a universal wave
of energy and excitement
that washes over people...
when the details and the colours
of the world can once again
be seen as clearly and as vibrantly,
as they are meant to be,
people can feel a sensation
of renewal, of reinvigoration,
and as if they want to make plans
and achieve new goals...
after an eclipse, people always
look at everyone around them
and appreciate them more
than before for some reason -
most likely because they realize
what the presence of certain people
in their lives means to them,
and because they experienced
what it is like to not see others
at the same time that they felt
they were still right besides them.
After experiencing a shared moment
that has a profound impact
on the way that people
perceived one another
and their connection to the universe,
when people return to their daily lives
a fragment of what was witnessed
always remains within someone
and occasionally makes them wonder
what lasting impression
they may have been left
upon those whom they have met -
perhaps akin to the importance
of the sun being eclipsed by the moon,
and those who were there to observe it
who were instantly awestruck
as they watched day become night
and light become dark.
My Poem “Corona”
Did you see the ring of fire?
Did you see the aura of the sun?
Did you see the halo of our star?
Did you see the moon turn day into night?
Where you there when the sky darkened
and people were overwhelmed with emotion?
Where were you when you saw your first eclipse?
Were you frightened, or were you hypnotised,
when you saw the moon obscure the sun’s light?
I remember, and I will never forget,
how I felt when I first saw the moon
come between the Earth and the sun:
I felt lost for words,
because I knew that what I was seeing
was synchronicity in all its perfection,
and also poetry in motion
that would stay with me forever…
I can still remember where I was
when I saw light explode,
as the sun was revealed again
from behind the moon –
and even now, within my mind,
I can still see the sun’s crown
that is its beautiful
and mesmerising corona.
My Poem “Words Enough and Time”
If only there were
enough words in the world
and limitless time in our lives
for each and every one of us
to find peace of mind
to fill our soul
with only the things of life
and the universe
that are among the most
wondrous and beautiful…
during an eclipse of daylight,
under the silent shadow
of a celestial event,
within the brief window
of day becoming night,
every one of us
can feel as if our lives
have become frozen
in an instant of twilight…
if only there were a way
for thoughts to break-free,
if only there were a way
for us to see the unseen,
if only there were a way
to describe the true meaning
and the transcendental
beauty of a sunrise…
if only there were
words enough and time.
My Poem ‘Penumbra’
The moment that you see the sun
darkened and obscured in any way,
takes your breath away;
the instant that the daylight fades,
your heart truly begins to race;
as the moon passes in front the sun,
the world feels colder,
the time seems later,
and everyone stops what they are doing,
because something wonderful, magical,
and undoubtedly celestial,
is about to happen.
Watching an eclipse is a special event
that everybody in their life
should hope to be witness to –
even if it only happens once,
and even if you only see it once;
being there on a clear day,
when one minute the sun is shining brightly,
and the next it is shrouded in darkness,
is something that you never forget –
because it isn’t every day
that you get to see
the celestial bodies of the universe
show the perfect timing and synchronicity
of their orbital gravity dance.
Those of us who are Earth-bound
rarely get to be at the centre of,
or be in the path of,
something profound that captivates us and reminds us
that we are a part of something bigger
than we can see, feel, be amazed by,
but can’t touch –
however, we can be touched by them;
seeing the spectacular colours of a mesmerizing aurora;
watching a total-eclipse,
or a partial-eclipse, of the sun –
everybody, anybody, everywhere, anywhere,
on the day of an eclipse,
can be left stunned, ensorcelled,
mesmerized, and humbled,
while standing in the shadow of a penumbra.
Mark The Poet 