[ NaPoWriMo 2021 Collection ] Satellite

“Her ghost is still orbiting Earth. . ."    
    
Defined: That which is    
    
Of all removed, come and gone
she was destined    
to remain alabaster tissue    
tidally locked to Earth—
her Stygian, volcanic maria    
perpetually waxing and waning    
betwixt ancient-crustal mesa    
and pockmarked impact craters    
    
Slightly brighter than worn asphalt    
contrasted by relatively dark space    
her specter glissades
across black, obsidian ice    
of an infinite cosmos—
an iron ball at the end of a chain
    
Part I: Anatomy of a Cycle    
    
i.
    
Circular—    
evolution could be cyclic;    
a regularly repeated period
of expansion and contraction:    
Eternal Recurrence    
of a theme or structural device;    
a constant distance
from a centered radius—
    
an uncomplicated contrast
distinctly dividing the plane
into two solid sectors:
within or without
    
And that's    
what she's all about    
    
Noted since the origin    
of recorded history    
the largest natural satellite
in the Solar System    
relative to the size of its planet    
remains a sheer mystery
    
ii.
    
Musical—    
Acoustical vibration    
one. . .cycle. . . per. . .second    
movements: symphonic, suite    
sonata, or string quartet;
an individual composer's
completed performance
of compartmental work
    
Harmonic progression    
repeated sequences, rooted—    
twelve-bar blues
indefinitely repeated
chords of variation: melodic and lyrical    
forming compositional allure
    
Universal Musica    
Music of the Spheres—    
an ancient conception
regarding celestial bodies:
the Sun, Moon, and planets
utilizing proportional space
    
An inaudible resonance—    
Her steadfast orbit    
inspiring epochs
of audible music

iii.

Literary—
cyclic narratives: prose, poetry
heroic legends of truth or myth
and those lingering, unseen
counterparts who saved the hero
absorbed within his homecoming shadow
Sophocles' tragedies: Oedipus
and his descendants:
Oedipus Rex, Antigone—
Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes

Medieval romance
matière: matter, theme, topic
Latin and French classics,
British independent—
King Arthur and his round table
the veil of Guinevere

Japanese: Soga Brothers,
47 Ronin, where ten-thousand
lifetimes ensured the destined
cycle of Lovers despite death;
its magic and mystery
as the Moon, presenting
different faces each day;

we recognize our own fate
despite the outer shells
we wear each lifetime we live
 
iv.  

Mathematical—
cyclic chain rule;
a constant scripted variable
explicitly computing
partial derivatives of x
with respect to y with z;
the triple production rule:

permissible rearrangement
of terms: substitution identities
permitting replacement
of variables proving analytically
difficult to evaluate or measure
within human capability;

it's finding a new resolution
to an unending constant

As the Moon orbits Earth
its angle alters day by day:
new, full, gibbous, waxing
and waning in between;
but, there remains something
unseen to human visibility:

the dark side of its face
concealed by an orbital constant
refusing to rotate

v.  

Geometrical—
Sacred Geometry of the Moon;
dimensions of esoteric meaning
crafted in architecture
monuments and measurements:
a lost science, secrets
hidden in plain sight

Sacred sites and crop circles
encoded with interstellar messages
by high initiates and magicians
enveloped in a consecrated science
of symbols and cosmic ambience
to define and experience
such mysteries as Atlantis

It is recorded by the greatest
of scientific minds
that the Great Pyramid of Giza
conforms not only to concise geometrics
but, is a temple of initiation
into a well of mystery:
rebirth, reincarnation,
and cosmic existence

But what has all this
to do with cycles of the Moon?
you may ask;

I would answer,
To Ancient Scholars
She was its shrouded crown
 
vi.  

Chemistry—
carbon-14 isotopes, organic
decomposition over millenniums
containing origins of age;
an archaeology's dream
—historical secrets:
planetary, atmospheric, humanity

We seek to unravel mysteries
of how we were created—
a timetable of our beginnings;
how we lived, where we went;
our extinct teeth unearthed
from swollen gums of dirt

An unwavering quest
for knowledge beyond our living
derived from ingestion
or inhalation of decay
that survived centuries
of cavernous demise

But, despite earthly findings
it is Universal mysteries
that capture our attention:
moon cycles in bone markings
carved 32 000 years BC
in ancient formations of caves

vii.  

Botany—
germination, infancy
a cracked hull
releasing twofold:
downward roots
and upward sprout
to bloom: leaflets form
perhaps thorns
followed by a bud
from air, sunlight. water, soil
prior to flowering flower
fruit or nut

Leaves absorb light
nourishing growth;
Leaftide—the Moon's gravity
Conducting water's movement
within veiny structures
Into lunisolar tide cycles

Sturdy stems filter water
from dirt, until elements:
wind, rain, animals, insects
harvest seedlings
into a legacy—

germination, infancy
a cracked hull. . .

Part II: Arc of the Covenant    

i.  

New—
leaden, that which is hidden
from terrestrial vision, lacking
its Source of illumination:  
precursor to birth

Her symbolic absence
a germination of illusion—
linear junction, gestating
amidst liminal spaces
of unborn clairvoyance
and imminent death  

Three days and nights
time folds, preparing for expansion;
rending its womb to emerge—
penetrating dead of night
with glistening blade
of silver sickle:

Lamp of Heaven and Earth
predating rainbow
and commandment;
oldest known promise to man:

Darkness shall never last

ii.  

Waxing Crescent—
dark caesarian of night
increscent new birth;
crepuscular form of life
falling forth from dust

Evolving growth pattern
O! nurtured Darkling, recipient
of altered-offering: blood
of intention and belief

Mother Earth magic:
cracking the husky womb
entwining newborn roots—
spellcasting their spiderlike shapes
deep beneath elements of light

Proving again beauty
and breath are both born
from a depth of darkness
those who walk terra firma
cannot fully understand

iii.

First Quarter—
half of a half-portion;
the whole of her profile
an illumination
of silhouetted face

Hard astrological angle
foresees crisis
as stepping stones
to the other side—
happiness

Doubt begets doubt
gestating from shadow-
aspects, invisible surfaces
revealing emerging clues

Incorporeal Spirit, illusion
traversing nocturnal sepulcher
of belief, evoking reflection
on patterns of change

Meanings and lessons
become trebuchets  
over wayward obstacles
designed to assist growth

Surrendering control
becomes a natural recurrence
trusting the Wheel of Life
its bird's eye view
orbiting favorably above us

iv.

Waxing Gibbous—
precision presented
an unveiling orb of perseverance

So close you can taste
fruition on the tongue—
deliverance reaping reward
from patience and hard work;

but, not quite yet;
not without diligent effort

You teach us circumstance
the unexpected loss
when taken for granted
when final work is left undone

Something seen is not owned
arriving ships can still succumb
to impending storms
before they reaches shore

We must not give up
separating wheat from chaff
because the cornfield  
has begun to burgeon  

especially when not yet ripened

v.  

Full—
nocturnal burgeoning;
gravitational pull, manifesting

Water, we are seventy percent
physical existence—
human tides, eddies
arterial ebb and flow

Fluidity shifting, changing
balance in our mind, captivating
activating extremes
beneath our façade

Elemental Sky Mother
fluid veins of vegetation
dependent upon lunar influence
for maturity

Shadow-lamp of worlds
photosynthetic balance:
offering, thought, love—

Smoke of air
Fire of Earth . . .

Such limpid fruition
of genuine intention

vi.  

Waning Gibbous—
introversion: ninety-nine
to fifty percent
( half of a half )
in receding blink of days

Oval iris padding her nest
folding softly into space;
lidded intermediacy
of linen'd enigma
preparing for rest
 
Gratitude, ritual
all that was graced
from intention's harvest
stored safely in the cellar
of contentment
now relaxed

We settle with her
quietly dimming the light  

vii.

Third Quarter Waning—
half of a half-portion;
the whole of her profile
choreographically submerging
beneath a black satin duvet

Hard astrological angle
relinquishing control:
meditation, forest bathing
sound healing all realign
Spiritual equilibrium

Belief becomes a warrior
steadfast within its garret
of magnetism, attracting
our seeded offerings
as tangible formations

United energies combine
into one magnet of return:
That which is like unto itself
is drawn—

so says the Law

viii.

Waning Crescent—
Non-REM cycle
feather-stage of slumber

EEG frequency, slowing
brain and breathing;
skeletal muscles succumbing
levitating from heavy cages

See-Saw tooth waves
and spindles of sleep twist
the dream catchers' yarn
into the sleeper's reality

Manifestation occurs easily
without thought resistance

There is a crescent light
in the fabric of space—
a doorway of time

We return to our original-
state of Being, entering
through its narrow opening

iv.

Re-New—
cocooned, enveloped;
a womb of prophecy
gestating from its provenance
into wholeness again

Her cyclic demise
a desert mirage—
peripheral space a trajectory
coursed exactly where
it is meant to exist

Stars distract from seeking
that thumbnailed print;
a French manicure
expanding from the tinseled  
ebb of nighttide
swelling inside itself

And, so, we remember
lest we ever forget—

Lamp of Heaven and Earth
predating rainbow
and commandment;
oldest known promise to man:

Darkness shall never last


Part III: Systems of Nomenclature    

i.

January—Wolf Moon
( Pawnee Native American Tribe )

Pa’ni—Wolf;
traditional customs
aligning with Spirit

Ancient Guardian of the Moon;
servant to the Sun, Pa'ni—
entrusted with the evening star

Brothers Black Bear,
Mountain Lion, and Wild-Cat
possessing power
in the heaven's realm;
their nomenclatures evolving
into the black, yellow
white, and red stars

Sending themselves
to earth through reincarnation
for planetary creation
we recognize within our self

Elements:  cloud, thunder
lightning, wind, and rain
form from their mighty mouth
into the cycle of seasons
and cicada rhythm of song:  

Weak or strong, Lone Wolf sings
to the Moon in dead of winter
the song of songs: Love  
resourceful mercy in brutal cold
But, eschews solitude
and runs in tune with the pack

because security exists in the fold

ii.

February—Deep Snow Moon
( Mahican Dialect, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Wisconsin )

Lunisolar calendar, midmonth
full-brush ere so close to earth
her super-sized orbit
emanating energy o'er us

Earth-based longitude
opposite the sun—heavy
snows make difficult the hunt
filling storerooms with bones

Yet, exalted Venus follows suit
provides the flicker of love—
we become receptive
deeply intuitive
absorbed in forms of art
distracting us from hunger
gnawing our spirits bare

Wolf Spirit resonates
and resourcefulness arises
from hymnals of heart:

Muxaʔtaawe Osãane Neepãʔuk
( Deep Snow Moon ), you provide
our guidance to survive  

iii.

March— Super Crow Moon
(  Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) )

Perigee, ninety-percent
closest approach to Earth
in a given orbit, swollen
with energetic fluoresce

Winter's bulb now dimming
holding space for spring;
snow thawing; earthworm casts
herald the Robin's return

Counting Crows, their caws
signifying a season's end
and a new on the horizon. . .
new leaves and sticky sap;
the tapping of maples begun

Blustery wind interspersed  
amid temperate, sunny days—
hungry bear, chipmunk
and woodchuck rouse from sleep

Pussy willows and wild flower
bloom, frogs lay their eggs;
wildling geese and duck
flying a northbound route

O! Crow—you thief of time:
Beware of The Ides of March
Don't forget to 'Spring ahead'—
Fast-forward those bloody clocks!

iv.

April— Super Planting Moon
( Tunica, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana )

Older than dirt, this planting
practicality according to Lunar
phases; it's scrawled
as ancient history
across caverned walls
by civilizations of our ancestors

Nocturnally lit fields extend
daylight into midnight hours;
a tribe of moving silhouettes
backlit with nocturnal light
move in sync, bedding crops
which sustain their village

Moon gardening, generations
of lessons through labor;
the same waxing force
that lures turtles ashore
commands crops to grow forth;
the same waning force
pulls their roots deep
into the earth

And we, still today,
reap its fruitful harvest

v.

May—Super(Flowering)Moon
( Inupiat Language, North Slope, Alaska )

Myriads! Farseeing! Indigo
wild garlic, bluebells, violets
sundrops and anemone yawn—
stretch their stemmed-arms
from winter bungalows

Colorful displays colonize
landscapes, invade
sensory perception
across broad spectrums
of the expected, and yet. . .
Nature, in her benevolence
surprises nonetheless

Total Lunar Eclipse—
though not of the heart;
but, Spirit. Her proximity
to earth only a miniscule
distance in a grander scale
of space. . .

. . .yet, close enough
her orbit, you breathe
the brush of magic instead

Smoke of Air
Fire of Earth
Manifest intentions
Offered when New

vi.

June—Strawberry/First Leaves Month
(  Cherokee, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina )

Quadruple system; Regulus;
heart of Leo, regal star
seated below the Moon
upon its southwestern
throne, shadowing

wild strawberries, spilling  
forth from vines, sweeter
on lingering lips
than their garden cousin;
or bitter, mock-berry pretender

Goddess Freyja's food
of love: she grants magic
in difficult decisions
and courage to face
what has been avoided

Goodbye, Spring—
balmy air escorts Summer
to the dance floor
of moments

The sun climactically
flourishes above new life
we receive, bask
in offered warmth

vii.

July—Thunder Moon
( Catawba Indian Nation, South Carolina )

Tunneling thunder, distant
deluge burrowing through
dark clouds as a mole
through dense dirt

Lightening, electrical
current-charged rain
buckets dumped
over the earth
during summer's peak

Water's final stand
before Dog Day's
scorching breath

Velvety antlers of Buck
sprouted in early spring
complete their growth—
pointed tips a crowned glory
to sturdy masculinity

Haymaking in the fields
fodder for the herd
evolved from swinging scythe
to modern machinery

Times alters ways and means:
by hand to machine
from drought to reserve—
except for the Moon
who steadfastly remains
unchanged

viii.

August—Sturgeon Moon
( Potawatami, Northern Michigan Tribe )

Cretaceous descendant, Sturgeon—
scaleless, smooth-skinned
species of spindled body
on the verge of extinction

Slow, bottom feeder
shadowing a Trail of Tears
into forgotten history,
into diminishing lands
of ancient, tribal people
whom were long-ago sustained

Silver manna of Great Lakes
slivers of wet moonlight
moving gracefully
within a due-east current
toward overexploitation of roe

Ceremonial dance, Natives
honoring the Great Fish;
drumming celebrates
a rippled  Moon's dance
across the reflection of water

ix.

September—Harvest Moon
( Passamaquoddy Tribe, Maine )

Breaking bread, common-place
as breaking spring soil
celebrating connections—
cultural and ancestors

The gift of extended light
to farmers of old, harvesting
crops late into the night

Plump grapes for wine-
making, rich Cabernet
Sauvignon & Malbec

Singing festivals, fall fairs—
Ferris wheel views
cotton candy & apples
sticky upon the tongue  

Samhain blessing
on the horizon;
final fullness of Moon
before Halloween—

Cunning trickster, Loki
god of Norse Tradition
upon his Harvest Throne;

all below, intensely reveling
in the magnificence of it all  

x.

October—Hunter's Moon
( Algonquin Tribe, New England )

Crumbling leaf-fall, squirrels
burying acorns; hunters
tracking their prey
by autumn moonlight:
summer-fattened deer
and fox unable to hide
in barren fields

Stockpiling supplies
root cellar deep
for the winter ahead

Harvest feasting:
Sugar skulls and Halloween
el Día de los Muertos
Day of the Dead;
Mesoamerican rituals
spread upon ofrendas
and loved one's graves  

The veil between spirit
and real world is renting
preparing to return
deceased to the living
as honored guests

Mothers burn lights
of sewing machines
making costumes
for trick-or-treat

While a Waning Gibbous
slowly diminishes

xi.

November—Beaver Moon
( Algonquian Tribe, New England )

Allhallowtide

El Dia de los Inocentes—
Day of the Children;
youthful spirits
rejoin family again  

All Souls Day—
Day of the Dead;
heaven's gates thrown open
adult spirits following suit;
enjoy loved ones' offerings

All Saints Day—
Hallowmas,a season
of celebration, feasting
in remembrance
of names, known
and forgotten

Beavers accrue
stockpiles of food
for winter weather;
venture out after dark
evade the hunter's trap
renting its pelt

Thanksgiving—
a season of celebration:
food and family. . .
when those living
gather 'round empty chairs
to count their blessings

The waning Moon
having gorged on light
closing its eye to nap

xii.

December—Cold Moon
( Mohawk Nation, Eastern Woodlands )

Fire, shooting sparks
through black of night
as spirits, ascending;
by day they burn
with family warmth
because community reminds us
we are not alone
at another year's close

Cold Moon of winter's eve
coming full circle
within the womb of long
dark nights where spring
awaits birth

Solstice, a moment befalling
a symbolic death and rebirth
of an old sun; ritual
offerings of reverence
festivals of worship
and dance permeate
the rising of light

Christmas, Yuletide feast
of food and gifts, oranges
and nuts deep in stockinged sleep;
pine scented rooms
candlelit with single flames
mimic the great outdoors

We embrace opportunity
to love and be loved—
to give from the heart
remembering the lonely
and those who have passed

Somewhere a ball drops
signaling the end
of another year;
and somewhere in the sky
the Moon, waning quietly
into herself,  oversees
a new one, sans pomp
and circumstance

Defined: That which is not  

Death—an ever-present
integral part of existence;
a cyclical occurrence
of essential transference

Her gravitational magnet
draws our spirit home;
we ebb to an ancient pattern
of rebirth, our soul
traversing a tidal pull  

A circular Ellipse
about the Earth—
anticlockwise we turn;
a bowstring pulled back
ready to shoot gravity-bound
energy into its next home

"In my Father's house
are many mansions"

Thus, we are all satellites
floating through space
inhabiting various hues
and shapes of skeleton:
human blood and bone;
plant or animal
in multiple dimensions
on manifold worlds

In every observation of her orbit
in every intention of offering
to her dark veil or luminescence  
one receives far more
than they ever sought;

we transfer, in and out
of multiple lives
when the shell collapses;
energy survives like love
after war; or words
centuries from now

Of all arrivals and departures
of lifetimes, she was destined
to remain alabaster tissue  
tidally locked in her orbit—    
an iron ball at the end of a chain    

And to this day, when you look up  

“Her ghost is still orbiting Earth. . ."  
~