It was just past midnight when the moon fell from the sky.
It landed in the lake south of our barn and slowly began to sink below the surface. I saw it from my place at the window.
Lately I have been unable to sleep and lie in bed beside my husband until his breathing changes to soft snores. Then I move to the chair beside the window from which I can study the night sky.
It seems to me the Universe surely has all the answers hidden somewhere. All we need to do is to look in the right place, ask the right questions, and our little piece of the eternal puzzle will be revealed.
This farm and this life and this man are what I chose. Now I study the stars and wonder— is this all there is?
The life has become harder, the farm has struggled through crop failures and now flooding and the man…..well the man and I appear to have fallen out of love. Or so it seems.
So I sit up at night and look to the sky for answers.
Although the rains have stopped much of the country around here is flooded. Rivers have spilled over their banks and culverts and gulleys run with water. Our lake has risen right up to the barn.
Tonight the muddy lake water has turned to a beautiful fiery gold. It has gathered up the moons’ shine and multiplied it out from the center to reach as far as the water spreads. It is so beautiful I sit and gaze at it for a long while before i notice that the moon is sinking.
I dress quickly, calling my husband’s name as I pull on jeans and a sweatshirt. It takes him moments to wake but when he looks out the window he doesn’t question me, just begins to dress as fast as I. Downstairs we yank on coats and pull our clean mud boots from the closet. In minutes we are standing on the lake shore, wondering what to do.
As the night sky rotates towards dawn we try different solutions. Pulling it with a rope does not work, in fact it causes it to tip and slip further beneath the surface. After three failed attempts I turn to my husband and see the same feeling of despair written on his face. This seems so important to us, so vital for us to do together. There is no thought of calling others to help.
He drags our row-boat from the barn and throws the rope into it. Together we push-off and sail to the middle of the lake where our moon waits patiently. Together we use the rope to lift it easily into the boat . Together we hold the moon up and maneuver back to safe ground.
When we roll the moon out of the boat it lifts gently up into the air and glides back into the night sky. I find myself holding my husband’s hand and when he leans in for a kiss it is the best kiss we have ever shared. I melt into his arms and in the morning I’m still there, snuggled close beside him in our bed.
“What an odd and beautiful dream,” I think and wonder if that is why everything feels so much better this morning.
The love of my life is still sleeping when I tiptoe downstairs to start the coffee.
It will be hours before I notice the muddy boots dropped haphazardly by the door.
Quite a few breathtaking phrases and words of wisdom in this beautiful prose. “Together we hold the moon up and maneuver back to safe ground.” My favorite.
I thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad it spoke to you!
I was almost afraid to read the story, wondering if it would live up to how much the title made me smile. Stupid fear, really, as I’m coming to know your work. A fantastic piece of reality, or a realistic fantasy, a fairytale? Doesn’t matter what I call it, it’s excellent.
What a wonderful compliment – thank you so much, Shannon. This was one of those serendipitous pieces that just sang it’s song to me 😉
This is such a sweet homage to renewal. Beautiful imagery, too, Splendid.
Thank you so much, Meg.
This is beautiful.
Thank you.
That first line is amazing and I love the natural magic that spreads from it through the whole piece. You really drew me into the room with its contemplative silence and calm and by the time they went to rescue the moon, I really hoped it would turn out as beautifully as the writing itself was. Also, that picture is amazing!
Thank you for the lovely compliments, Silver. I am so glad to hear that the “magic” worked for you.
I love the picture too – it sets the tone for what I was trying to achieve; a sort of matter-of-fact straightforward tale of something that is just not possible but happens anyway 🙂
That is exactly it and what I loved the most about it!
The blending of reality and dream with the moon is wonderful. And many speak of watching the sun set, never the moon set. You painted a lovely scene or renewed love.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Renada. I’m glad you liked my moon tale!
Such beautiful imagery here, as you describe the way the lake shines as the moon sinks into it. The story itself, of a marriage reunited by shared adventure…lovely.
Thank you, Megan. I appreciate your comments. Adventure is good for relationships, they say.
You wrote magical realism with such ease, SE! And the evolution this narrator’s feelings went through during the story is so well realized.
Thanks Nate! You know how I value your feedback 🙂
Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
jinxx xoxo
Lovely, lovely, lovely. Thank you for posting this, even if I am late to read it.