The New Moon

Photo courtesy of Public-Domain-Image.com

The New Moon

Hold on to me.
We will slip carefully carefully
don't tip it over
into this canoe
pale as birch bark

and with the stars
over our shoulders
paddle
down the dark river
of the sky.

Do not delay.
By next week
the canoe will be bulging with cargo,
there will be no room
inside for us.

Tonight is the time.
Step carefully.
Hold on to me.

~ Eve Merriam

The first time I read this poem, the words "canoe" and "paddle" jumped right out at me.  Paddling a canoe is one of my very favorite things in the world to do.  I guess that's why Merriam's metaphor of the new moon as a pale canoe speaks to me.  I love imagining that I'm stepping carefully into that glowing birch bark, then paddling across the dark sky river.

(Psst... if you haven't read about the Big Blue Birthday Contest yet, please check out this post.)