Lunar Muse

The moon–

eternal muse of mankind

has inspired the hearts 

of poets, musicians 

and artists 

since ancient times           

In Li-Bai’s verse 

“Quiet Night Thoughts”

the silvery moonlight

spilled across the floor

gleaming like frost 

stirring the ache

of his distant home 

In Van Gogh’s painting

“Road with Cypress and Stars”

the slender crescent hangs

above two trembling stars

was his vision of the night

while confined in the asylum

not long before his final days 

Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”

begins with a tranquil melody 

then ends in a stormy finale—

a song of love unreturned

and the anguish

of his fading hearing

So does the moon           

cast its quiet spell—

its calm light offers serenity

its gentle glow provides solace

when loneliness and sadness

fill our hearts

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States