09 January 2007

The Man in the Moon--Billy Collins



He used to frighten me in the nights of childhood,
the wide adult face, enormous, stern, aloft.
I could not imagine such loneliness, such coldness.

But tonight as I drive home over these hilly roads
I see him skinking behind stands of winter trees
and rising again to show his familiar face.

And when he comes into full view over open fields
he looks like a young man who has fallen in love
with the dark earth,

a pale bachelor, well-groomed and full of melancholy
his round mouth open
as if he had just broken into song.

"The Man in the Moon", Billy Collins

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like this poem.

he looks like a young man who has fallen in love
with the dark earth,

a pale bachelor, well-groomed and full of melancholy

Nice!

12:33 AM  
Blogger angela said...

i know...magical, isn't it?

his poetry always surprises me and often makes me sort of chuckle. there are others that are even better, but longer. i really like this one called "questions about angels". google it. it's great.

2:00 AM  
Blogger toujames said...

What does it mean though?

10:17 PM  

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