ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

MOONLIGHT SERENADE

© Shelley Hansen 18/4/2023

We travelled south with caravan as winter turned to spring,
and when we reached the town of Broken Hill
we heard the welcome news of an event, quite sure to bring
the chance for something special. What a thrill!

We took our chairs and settled down upon a stony ridge
as dusk descended slowly from the east.
The warmth of day soon vanished. Night air rolled in like a fridge!
The parching desert wind abruptly ceased.

Across the silhouetted land the sky spread, pink and grey.
A touch of calm pervaded every sense,
along with expectation at this closing of the day
as quietly, we waited in suspense.

Beyond the far horizon came the rising of the moon.
Her fullness bathed the scene in pearly glow.
Suspended like a carnival celestial balloon,
her zenith climb was prelude to the show.

Then all at once her shape was changed as earth’s revolving pace
created all the marvel of eclipse.
We watched our planet’s shadow creep across her rounded face,
embracing her, caressing with its lips.

The minutes slid by slowly, till quite suddenly the sky
grew dark as blood moon reddened outback night,
until one burst of brilliance, like a diamond ring on high
announced the re-emergence of the light.

We savoured all the silence of this moonlight serenade,
and slowly, wisdom made us understand.
The things we thought had troubled us began to dim and fade.
We saw the bigger picture. Life is grand!

Hi Shelley

what a setting to see it with little unwanted manmade lights to lessen the effect.
I have had similar experiences.
Plus watching Haley's comment night after night out in remote areas as well.
Well written and told Shelley.

Terry

That's beautiful Shelley, so many great descriptive lines!
Could that have been Mundi Mundi lookout by any chance? Then again there are so many great spots out there!
After reading that, it makes me want to saddle up and head out that way again!
Really enjoyed the read, well done!
Cheers
Ron

How beautiful, Shelley - you took me right there along with you. Just lovely.

Thanks so much Terry, Ron and Catherine! There's nothing like the outback sky for moon, star and comet gazing! Halley's was a non-event in the lights of town!

Ron - it was just the ridge that flanked the caravan park where we sat, but a great vantage point. This was in 2014 - October or November as I remember. We did a caravan trip to SA and took our favourite route down the Kidman Way, then across to Broken Hill.

Cheers
Shelley

That sounds like a fab spot to do a bit of star gazing - it always amazes me that it is the self same sky that we see in the city and yet they are so very different - I have never seen a satellite moving across the heavens whilst living in the city but in the outback they seem to be a common occurrence and of course the sunsets are beyond belief and the horizons give us such a sense of the sheer size of our country ...city folk who have never seen it have no idea what they are missing. And now after reading this I am missing it again. Nicely crafted.

Thanks so much Maureen - yes there is nothing like the heavens under an outback sky!