Luna and Mars

by D. E. Bentley –

Luna, named for the night moth fluttering against the light, for the color of soft floppy ears, stood timid and frightened, quiet, hesitant then leapt playfully forward and disappeared amidst the tall grass.  Bursting with smiles we scooped you up; we belonged to you, were chosen by you.  We traveled together.  Heron hovered at your side as you ventured deep into woods and fields until he tasted the wind and flew away to distant lands.

Alone by day you cried as others busied themselves with life’s obstacles.  Seeking shelter you burrowed deep into closeted corners, digging holes of safety as long hours of solitude drifted by.   Mars, named for his red fur, for his terrific fiery enthusiasm, arrived, did not impress; you stood impassionate and cold.  Time melted icicles.  Together you rolled and wrestled long hours, loneliness forgotten and distant.

The sun and tethered moon battled for brilliance and dominance; years passed quietly.  Into your sixteenth winter blew a chill that wrapped itself around us. Buffalo settled under mountains of elaborate crystal flakes.   You wandered in and out of sleep, legs flailing in the air, dream rabbits scurrying for cover.  You wandered methodically beneath towering elegant evergreens, sniffing the cool air for recognizable scents as darkness and quiet slowly descended.

Strolling Six Mile, home, you navigated rocky shoreline, gazed at roaring currents. Sycamore roots intricately entwined with the earth whispered lullabies.  Sitting together we remembered when clouds darkened the sky and torrential downpour drove us under overhanging rocks.  Great thunderous crashes and flashes broke through distant cracks in the carpet of sky and surrounded us.

You departed, drifted into the wind with the rain as prisms of color arched across the sky.  Mars whimpered.  Icy mist and night skies enveloped us as you settled under a blanket of rocks, legends of time.