SUPPORTING THE MOON TO DEFY GRAVITY

Moon, why do you cry?
Tired of showing your face, illuminated
frozen smile and eyes gleaming reassurance
upon those who need it?
But it's your job.  Resistance is futile.
I know now.

So raise your bright side.
Let the darkness be
nullified by itself
while you flow
light-headed in space
watching yourself and me
learn life
up and down.

I cried once too,
fought hard against
tidal waves and storms
(that maybe you or I helped create).
The more I fought,
the more there was to fight
until the fight beat me,
almost.

Now instead of fighting,
I mostly float.
Easier than swimming against currents.

Stay calm Moon.
Let's help each other rise
to fullness each time.

Let's not rebel against what is.
Let's defy only gravity.



(I wrote this several years ago.  In the postscript then, I explained that I did not mean to encourage complacency, but rather an acceptance of an unchangeable life circumstance, instead of waging an inner war against what is, making myself unhappy.  

What matters is that we defy gravity - those habits and addictions that pull us to repeat the same mistakes that harm our inner life, our relationships, our health.  

I've learned a little since then.  But I'm still struggling to fight only the valid inner battles instead of those that are essentially created by my own illusions and my ego.  

I got the idea for this poem from a book by Carolym Myss, "Defying Gravity".)

(For Poets United.)