Moon Spawn
What if Carl Sagan got it half wrong?
“We are star stuff which has taken its destiny into its own hands.” Carl Sagan, Cosmos
What if instead of star stuff, we are moon spawn? Immaculate reflections reluctant to reveal more than a sliver of our full selves
because we’re hesitant, teases, twice-burned, have trust issues — behind a magician’s cape of stars we hide, fearing boos if the truth outs. Our audience seeks a great ball of fire not a pockmarked rock with veins of hardened lava; they’ll want their money back.
Some dark nights, we’re so exhausted by the effort it takes to flip the switch and, on demand, shine that our filament rattles like old floorboards. The End.
Except it isn’t. We’re moon spawns and comeback kids. La Luna ain’t raised no sissies. Like the universe, awe outlines us. We’ll expand as destined, coloring ourselves in with brushes tipped with stars.
And the tides will sigh at such lunatic perseverance but play along. Like scorpions glowing blue and lovers.
©Jenine Bsharah Baines 2021
Years ago, I was a huge fan of Carl Sagan’s PBS series, Cosmos. I’d love to rewatch the series because I’ve forgotten virtually everything I learned. And I’d be so much more responsive to — and awed by — the astrophysics. Back then, most of my awe was reserved for Carl the television personality. He was mesmerizing.
His words, which I quote at the start of this poem, have stayed with me. The first four words, that is. It’s doubtful I even heard the second/destiny half of the sentence! I was too entranced by the idea of being a human star.
Little did I realize the hard spiritual work that goes into being truly the stuff of stars.
I can’t quite chronicle how the Muse led me from star stuff to moon spawn…but there you go. Mystery is a huge component of poetic fun. Science fun, too, I suspect.
This is not to say I’m ‘funning’ you about the scorpions. They really do turn blue during full moons.
Thank you, R. Rangan PhD, for offering this poem and musing a home at Science & Soul. Thank you, dearest readers — star stuff, galaxies of you, bedecking Medium!
