Thursday, December 03, 2009

December's Moon of Long Nights

This morning, I was tempted to indulge in a few verses of very bad homegrown poetry, but refrained from doing so - I wanted to honor in a net of inadequate words what appeared at first glance to be the last full moon of 2009. As it turns out, December blesses us with two full moons this year, and the thirteenth moon falls on the very last day of the month and this calendar year.

There is something poignant, telling and rather melancholy (or wabi sabi) about viewing December's moon through the bare branches of the old ash tree in the garden as Spencer and I did last evening. My beloved old tree is slowly expiring, or as Wendell Berry once put it, "passing into the fund of things". Branches and twigs have been falling away for some time, and I have no idea whether she will exist next year in December. That makes me a little sad, for I have been watching the moon rise through her eloquent outstretched arms for many years.

We also know this moon as the: Ashes Fire Moon, Bauhinia Moon, Bear Moon, Beginning of the Winter Moon, Big Bear's Moon, Big Winter Moon, Birch Moon, Center Moon's Younger Brother, Cold Moon, Cold Time Moon, Bitter Moon, Deer Shed Their Horns Moon, Dumannos Moon, Eccentric Moon, Elder Moon, Frozen over Moon, Heavy Snow Moon, Holy Moon, Hellebore Moon, Her Winter Houses Moon, Hunting Moon, Ice Lasts All Day Moon, Ice Moon, Little Finger Moon, Little Spirits Moon, Long Snows Moon, Middle of Winter Moon, Moon Before Yule, Moon of Cold, Moon of Long Nights, Moon of Much Cold, Moon of Popping Trees, Moon of Putting Your Paddle Away in the Bush, Moon of Respect, Moon When Buffalo Cow's Fetus Is Getting Large, Moon When Deer Shed Their Horns, , Moon When Little Black Bears Are Born, Moon When the Young Fellow Spreads the Brush, Moon When the Wolves Run Together, Moon When the Sun Has Traveled South to His Home to Rest Before He Starts Back on His Journey North, Narcissus Moon, Night Moon, Oak Moon, Paulownia Moon, Peach Moon, Poinsettia Moon, Popping Trees Moon, Poppy Moon, Real Goose Moon, Sap Moon , Sjelcasen Moon, Small Spirits Moon, Snow Moon, Star Frost Moon, Turning Moon, Thirteenth Moon, Under Burn Moon, White Orchid Tree Moon, Winter Maker Moon, Winter Moon, World Darkness Moon, Yule Moon

5 comments:

Valerie said...

We have lost all of our ashes to the invasive emerald ash borer. I hope for you and all of your ashes sake that your is expiring from old age.

the wild magnolia said...

Oh my, Real Goose Moon. You know me and wordsies. There is a rural street, in Hardee County Florida, named Goosepond Road. I loved the sound of that too!

Your Moon Tree has given you comfort, encouragement, and stability. Such a wise teacher she is!

Thinking of you. Candles are lighted!

Thanks so much for your comment on my blog about my grandson.

Much love, Sandi

Anonymous said...

By the way, that 13th Moon is also going to be a lunar eclipse. Kind of intense!

Once again, want to say how much I love your blog!
- Beth Owl

Tabor said...

I will never be as wise as you and not try my hand at verse or prose. I am sure what you were going to share would have been wonderful.

Kerry O'Gorman said...

Your photo looks like a painting! So cool to know that it was full and clear on our side of the coast as well as where you are...we called our place 'planters moon' for the full moon that comes in April...cheers