.
Was that the moon
or just a mood
that crawled across the sun?
For a time
it seemed the day
was weary-worn,
had gone too soon
leaving us
the steaming edges
of totality.
But all things pass
and so this too,
that shadow-stealing
interlude
we’re warm again
the sky is blue
our sunlight never
went away,
’twas just an attitude.
.
© 2012, 2017 Betty Hayes Albright
.
(4:15pm – the eclipse hasn’t actually begun here yet – 45 more minutes. And the sky is overcast. But I’m hoping maybe the clouds will part just in time.)
Update at 7:15pm – no parting of the clouds, but it became darker than normal – and surreal. All the neighborhood yard lights came on. Now the sky is bright (gray) again. (And of course it’s still raining….)
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This is wonderful, Betty–I love it!
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Did you notice how dark it got, Caddo? Even with the cloudy sky – our yard light came on and it looked like it was about 20 minutes before sundown. Everything’s back to normal now… just a rain-clipse. 🙂
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Oh I’m so glad you clued me in–I thought it was me. So dark! What would I do without you, SOS!
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What a great poem! I love the part about “just a mood that crawled across the sun” – wonderful words! It was cloudy here in Portland but I did notice a time when it seemed to be a bit darker, and now the light has come back – that must have been the eclipse for us!
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Thank you! Yes, that was about how it was here – just a definite darkening for awhile. (I hear there’ll be a total eclipse in central Oregon in 5 years – that would be cool to see!)
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That would be amazing to see! Hopefully I’ll be here to see it – I keep telling everyone I am going to stay here until I die, so I should be around 🙂
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Hope you get to see it. My son is planning to come down for it – I told him he’d better make reservations now! 🙂
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I love this, too, Betty, and have to agree with loving these lines: just a mood
that crawled across the sun? 🙂
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Thanks, Lauren! 🙂
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Bravo Betty bravo!
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It’s the moon and sun that should take a bow! 🙂
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Very beautifully done Betty!
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Thank you, David!
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This seems as if it might not have a place somewhere in Mayberrie?
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I thought of that, Ben – but then decided it didn’t come from that same “place” of the heart. (Different emotional vibe, I guess…..)
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I suspected that might be the case. I am not as clear as you about the essence and overall shape of Mayberrie. I sometimes ponder on how much goes on “inside” “us” that we are hardly aware of, much less privy to. And if we are such a mystery to ourselves, how can we expect others, even out dear ones, to “understand” us? 🙂
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Our attitude does often color our view doesn’t it? It may not always be “sunshine and roses”, but we can still find the beauty. ~Regards, Dan
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Thanks, Dan – it does at that… (color our view). I appreciate your comment!
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A passing mood…and moon…love the analogy.
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Thank you, Charlie!
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Yes, it rained here, too, during the annular eclipse. But the photos from the other side of the globe posted on Facebook today were awesome! I enjoyed the way your poem speaks of the ecplipse as being a “mood” and an “attitude.” Great metaphors for our own internal reactions when we lose our “light”!
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Hi Granbee – I also saw some great photos on the news. The eclipse was only 79% here, so even if the sky had cleared it wouldn’t have been that dramatic. But still amazing, just to see the gray sky darken. 🙂
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Such a unique reflection on the solar eclipse, which we didn’t get to experience in the northeastern US.
Loved all of it, the wealth of words and meaning, but especially:
‘our sunlight
never went away,
t’was just an attitude.’
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Diane, thank you, and I’m glad you liked this.
(The eclipse here was just 80%, but enough to be noticeable – and eerie – through the clouds.)
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Thanks for letting me camp out in your blog for a little while. I had a great time and tried to leave my campsite as clean as when I arrived. I’ll be back!
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Thanks for your visit, Russel. Yes, your campsite looks neat and clean – hope you enjoyed, and that the chipmunks didn’t pester you too much! 🙂
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