NIGHT SKY

Two poems by Linda Moss


NIGHT SKY

A moonless, star-burst night.
We drove out along jolting dusty bush roads
fingering deep into remoteness
until we reached the high reservoir.
There we perched on the edge of the world 
balanced paper plates on our knees
gripped plastic cups of tepid white wine,
and gazed at the edge of universe.

No human light anywhere
in the dark denseness of that African night,
only the electric glitter and glimmer of myriad stars, planets, galaxies...
immeasurable, unimaginable, unfathomable.
'When I look up at this,' I said
'That's when I can believe there is a God.'
'Oh,' you said, my faith-filled friend,
'That is when I can not.'

 

*

 

Suddenly you had embarked
And were gone
Before we even knew you had a voyage
To undertake

A small hand waving
A smudge of smoke on the horizon
An empty sky


(for Patsy)