avatarDaniela Dragas

Summary

A reflective narrative about a man who has moonlight in his eyes, sitting on a hillock behind the narrator's house, reminiscent of the narrator's childhood dreams of captaining a ship through starry nights.

Abstract

The text is a prose poem that paints a vivid picture of a man who embodies the essence of moonlight, evoking the narrator's childhood dreams of sailing the high seas. The narrator recalls growing up in a maritime-themed environment, which influenced their dreams of being a ship captain, adorned in nautical attire, navigating through winds, waves, and salt. The moonlit-eyed man's presence on the hillock behind the narrator's house serves as a bridge between the narrator's dreams and the tangible world, as he reveals that he watches imaginary ships sailing through the night. The poem concludes with an unfinished conversation, leaving the reader with a sense of mystique and contemplation.

Opinions

  • The narrator has a deep connection with the sea and maritime imagery, as indicated by their living environment and dreams.
  • The man with moonlight in his eyes symbolizes a link between reality and the realm of dreams or imagination.
  • The poem conveys a sense of wonder and nostalgia, as the narrator is transported back to their childhood dreams through the presence of the moonlit man.
  • The poem suggests an appreciation for the beauty and mystery of the night, particularly the enchanting effect of moonlight.
  • The sparse dialogue and the man's enigmatic response imply a shared understanding or a moment of silent communication between the narrator and the moonlit man.

Moonlight

A prose poem

Photo by Ganapathy Kumar on Unsplash

I once knew a man with moonlight in his eyes.

He sat on the bench on top of a hillock behind my house.

Where I grew up in rooms furnished like cabins on ocean liners.

At night I dreamed I was the captain of one of them.

Wearing a double-breasted coat with brass buttons and

a hat with an anchor on its front.

Stirring a polished mahogany wheel all through the starry nights

full of winds, waves and salt.

The sun dried the salt and left only a powdery-white circle around my mouth.

I asked the man — why do you have moonlight in your eyes?

To watch ships, he said. Long, white ships

sailing the oceans through the starry nights,

full of winds, waves and salt, and

He said nothing else.

Thank you for reading.

Scribe
Poetry
Poetry On Medium
Poem
Moonlight
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