Staircase to the Moon

Summary

The website content describes a poem inspired by the natural phenomenon known as "Staircase to the Moon" in Broome, Western Australia, and includes an end note detailing the author's experience and the photograph used for illustration.

Abstract

The web content presents a reflective poem titled "Staircase to the Moon," which is a creative response to a writing challenge. The poem captures the essence of a unique natural event that occurs in Broome, Western Australia, where the rising full moon creates an optical illusion over Roebuck Bay's mudflats. The author, who missed the submission deadline for the challenge, expresses gratitude to those who facilitated the publication of their belated contribution. Additionally, the author provides an end note explaining their personal connection to the phenomenon and the process of sourcing an appropriate image for the poem, crediting photographer Francesco Piasentin for the stunning visual that accompanies the text.

Opinions

The author suggests that the "Staircase to the Moon" is an awe-inspiring and surreal experience that is challenging to capture accurately in photographs.
The author believes that their own photographs did not do justice to the lunar-tidal spectacle, leading to a search for a more suitable image.
There is an expressed appreciation for Francesco Piasentin's photography skills, whose image was chosen to represent the phenomenon alongside the poem.
The author values the opportunity to share their experience and poem, despite missing the original submission deadline, and acknowledges the support received from others in making their contribution public.

A linked shape poem

Image by Francesco Piasentin on Flickr (see end note)

To appreciate the structure and flow of this poem, I suggest you view it on a screen larger than a mobile device. Thank you. 🙏 🌝

Evening we gather, milling a diasporic throng, buzzing electric, eclectic cacophony, fading light enveloped in darkness, ascending a crescent glow on the horizon, inspiring hush, stillness palpable and thick, rendering time transcendent, irrelevant, mute, enabling homage to the Moon Goddess, Selene, revering her magnificent golden orb, luminous, exuding mythical wonder, molten eminence, embracing awe, affirmation, solace, deliverance, revealing her radiant staircase, time-trodden, traversing rich seabeds of tempered chocolate, enticing intrepid faithful to dream, aspire, absolving uncertainty, wayward missteps, inhaling hope, the sanctity of life, yielding to destiny’s purpose, knowing we disperse, returning to being

Thank you for reading my poem. I wrote it in response to GiaB’s #6 prompted writing challenge — Honeymoon Romance.

Thank you to Suntonu Bhadra for the invitation to join the challenge. Unfortunately, I missed the submission deadline for the challenge. Victor Sarkin, however, has kindly agreed to publish my belated contribution here at GiaB. 🙏

Staircase to the Moon — end note

When I read the writing prompt, I knew instantly that this was my opportunity to write about one of the most fascinating natural phenomena I’ve had the good fortune to witness. Staircase to the Moon is an optical illusion created by the light from the rising full moon reflecting off the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay, Broome, Western Australian, at ultra-low tide. It is truly an experience that is both awe-inspiring and surreal.

Capturing this lunar-tidal spectacle on film is easy, but doing it justice is another thing altogether. The photos I took in October 2016 were disappointing to say the least — certainly not worthy of a place here on Medium. That sent me on a mission to find a suitable image in the public domain. Easier said than done, but I did it. I found Francesco Piasentin’s beautiful photo, (160916_Broome-169), on Flickr via a search in Creative Commons. Within the conditions set out by the license terms, I have been allowed to resize and crop the photo so as to make it suitable for the header photo that accompanies my poem. I am very grateful to Francesco for making his photo freely available — and for being a better photographer than me!

Here is his unedited photo in a smaller size.

Broome | Western Australia

Staircase to the Moon

A linked shape poem

Honeymoon Romance

GiaB writing prompt #6

Staircase to the Moon — end note