Episode 1: Morning Moons

Hi everyone, I hope you’re doing as well as you can be these days. I know that the past few weeks have brought pain, suffering, grief, and so much else beyond words. 

This week’s poem was moving to draft and as I edited, the clarity of the moment emboldened. It’s crafted from a submission that expands a simple moment early in the morning of October 28th—juxtaposing it with deeper reflections. I’ll read it now:

Under the full, hunter’s moon,

I microwaved frozen blueberries 

and shelled pistachios

before sunrise.

The stony, taupe epicarps—

casts of overnight cold—

called for un-cut nails to crack. 

Even then, prying them open drew blood.

And against the boundless blackboard sky, 

a brave moon—

coloured in with thick layers of chalk—

showed me courage:

pale, blood-spattered, gutted husks,

liberated, viridescent pistachios, free now, 

past the oblong placemat ridges,

hurdling utensils.

The blueberries thawed, too. 

So even in a muted blackout, 

the moon is relentlessly bold, 

blood cascades thick, and

pistachios rupture shells—

ripe, rich, raw, and ready.

And as I peered into the stars—

shepherding their ancient light to my kitchen—

I prayed and hoped that my gut was right:

that the spangled sky

may have already chosen

to light the way this time.

Breathe the words in. What do they make you feel or think? How did they connect with your senses? What colours or symbols did you notice? What meaning did you draw? Metaphors? Interpretations? Clarity? Messages? Let me know in the comments on Instagram or feel free to email me your thoughts: mikaela@weareunsinkable.com.