On the night of 27/28 September there was a rare blood moon eclipse. Unusually, Ted got up in the middle of the night and asked to be let out, so I stood in the garden of Folly Cottage at 4.00am and saw the Earth’s shadow passing across the face of the moon. I woke up early the next morning with the first two lines of this poem running round my head. I made a cup of tea, sat up in bed and got to work on the rest of it.
Full is the moon and full my heart.
My soul, it sighs for thee.
For you are far away my dear,
so very far from me.
You’re in my every waking thought;
I bid you night and day.
But only in my dreams you come
and never do you stay.
Would you were here my darling girl
to share this empty bed;
I’d wrap you in my loving arms,
I’d stroke your weary head.
We’d watch the earth traverse the moon;
you’d offer me your lips,
and our embrace both sweet and long
all sorrow would eclipse.
And is this longing mine alone,
a solitary plight;
or do you also dream of me
beside you in the night?
[Photo credit: Tim Melling]
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