Fish Moon

Uncategorized 1 Minute

(A story from the Yolngu people of Arnhem Land) 

There’s a bird that nests 
in the big pine near our back door
and it sings at night.  It’s singing now “what 
‘cha doin’?”  like I’m crazy to be sitting here
thinking about the moon.

I’ve got one of those deck chairs
that has a floppy seat until you fill it,
the sort with stripey fabric and folding pine legs,
and I’ve got my beer and the old table
Gramps left us with curly whirly iron for the base

From here, the sky is a pond 
and he’s a silver-bellied fish, 
that moon, and I’m watching 
as he skinny dips -
see! See the rainbows shimmying 
off his scales and down the faces 
of those white-horse clouds.
He’s starkers and cavorting

and then the bird asks again “What 
‘cha doing?”  so I point upwards 
and say “Your tree is a highway,
bird.  A highway to the biggest
lake of all.  Where flying and swimming
are the same thing.  See that?”

There’s a silence then 
simple and enormous, filling space
all the way to the distant stars.  
The bird and I have eyes only for the sky.

But soon my beer is finished
so I fold up my chair and head inside 
just as the bird says quietly “What 
‘cha doin’?” like I'm crazy to leave.

This poem was written for Sarah’s Mooning Around prompt on dVerse. I looked at all the different indigenous North American peoples Sarah had found who referenced the moon in particular ways and I thought I should look into moon references in Australian Indigenous peoples. My poem is based on a story from Arnhem Land. You can read it here.

Published by abigfatcanofworms

We all walk in the dark. But if we hold hands, perhaps the dark won't be as scary.

Published

22 thoughts on “Fish Moon”

  6. What an absolute delight to read! I love your fish moon tale in a poem! I love the singing bird, the concrete description of the deck chair that reminds me of the one my grandmother had, the pond sky with the moon as a ‘silver-bellied fish’! I have a huge smile on my face and your poem has set me up for the day.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. “From here, the sky is a pond
    and he’s a silver-bellied fish,
    that moon, and I’m watching
    as he skinny dips –
    see! See the rainbows shimmying
    off his scales and down the faces
    of those white-horse clouds.
    He’s starkers and cavorting”

    Love the imagery in this!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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