As the Sky-dwellers climb wearily through
the golden gates of puffing clouds, Almighty Nyame winks his gleaming right eye
and the world grows dark: the sun is setting. His left eye opens wide: a
beaming bright circle in the charcoal sky emerges. This source of light hardens
from a pale slither to a deep yellow orb, smiling at the patient ground below.
It is at this time, when the soaring birds
sleep and the parted clouds disperse, that the Moon-worshippers arrive wearing
midnight blue masks with glinting flecks of gold that dance in the light. They
place polished stones and shards of flint in a perfect circle with a smoky fire
in the middle, under the cold shadow cast by the Moon. Boys in blue and gold
robes begin a slow drumming as the griot enters the circle:
“Tonight is the night of the Full Moon. Let me tell you a story…”
Still with their masks on, the Moon
worshippers begin to sing and hum while the griot paces and prances in the
organic circle of holy rocks. He begins:
With a wink, the Sky Lord’s eye is turned
And the Sun’s rays slowly cease to burn.
The land grows dark, the light runs thin;
For at night, a serious matter lies within….
Moonboy walks alone in his golden mask
Adorned with gold and painted parts.
His movement is brisk, slow, tall, long,
His voice, so graceful, he sings his sad song –
The Luna dance which calls on the Moon
Asking the gods for blessings soon
On this clear, cool, crisp night
To open his soul, deep and bright…
With a sigh his breath flees his shell
And wisps this way, that way, soon to dwell
Up in the sky, breathing new air,
Seemingly content, holding no cares.
He becomes the Moon, shining his great light,
Beaming full, gazing at the sight
Of his people below sending such love,
Yet something is missing in his life above:
Bright yes, and forever glowing full,
The Moon’s calm mind will never dull.
The light he promises will always shine,
“But I need a companion, to call mine.
For you, my friends, I'm proud to call my own,
But I lack a partner, where true love can grow –
In my bold heart, which seems so kind,
Where love’s own faults may leave me blind.
Oh Nyame, my lord, grant my wish!
I serve so loyally, your feet I kiss –
So please, oh Father, give my heart joy
And end my suffering by one divine ploy.”
And that night, oh, how Moonboy cried,
Adding waters to the oceans, now undried.
Our hearts broke for his sad tale,
But what could we do? Mere mortals fail…
With a downcast face, and tear-stained eyes,
Moonboy tried to hold his ties
To heaven above, now starless and lighter
But Moonboy only held on tighter.
His piercing scream of grieving sorrow
Echoed from night until the morrow,
When divine Nyame began to shift his vision
And the Moon was caught in this division:
The Sun, so radiant, gleaming crimson red
Arose, still weary from her golden bed;
Bemused, she sees the forlorn white beast
And wonders why he’s here, floating in the
East.
Unseen, she swiftly hides behind him
Causing the world’s light to grow dim,
As her curious acts of wonder
Leave us down here now to ponder
How this glorious and bedazzling meeting
Is possible, real, without cheating.
For it must be the doing of the gods
Watching proud, as their son no longer sobs.
He sees her light, hot yellow with lightening,
And cannot stop himself from fighting
With his conscious thoughts of love
Was this blessing sent from Above?
Never had he seen such aura
Of exquisite beauty, in his corner.
Smiling, beaming, he is Home
Finally, he does not feel alone.
She shyly shines when she sees
His love for her burning through the trees,
Over hills, in the Earth and skies
Her heart flutters in surprise –
Their soft eyes meet and brightness bounces
From their hearts, the light renounces;
For, having been so intimate, so near,
The time has come to return the sphere
Back to sleep, back to the eye,
Leaving Moonboy alone to cry
Tears still hot from Sun’s warm light
Soon hardening, cool in Earth’s sad night.
“Oh Sun, don’t leave, I love you so!
With you I'm free, my body is whole –
Your breath, your light, you fertile rays
Nourish my lost heart in this lonesome haze.”
With that, the Moon, his heart so splintered,
Began to fade, Summer turning to Winter –
Having lost his beaming yellow soul,
Now remains a wisp of light in the cold.
A line of pale light blends in the sky,
The Earth-dwellers often wonder why
The beautiful circle of pure light
Has gone to bed, little by little, tonight.
The Moon-worshippers wail
in terror at the tragic tale of Moonboy's lost light. Their chants and cries
drift through the sky, kindling Nyame the sky god with the same cares. He
thunders and the ground grows wet, the soil, once pale from the Moonlight now
is darker than night.
Moonboy awakens from a sad
sleep, and sparkling with delight, he shouts blessings from above to his
faithful worshippers, “When my blue light had scattered into cool night, your
cries and prayers roused my shattered soul!” And gradually, the Moon began
regaining his strength – his dimmed inner light became illuminated from the
spirit of the people.
Night by night, the Moon emerged into the dark night sky,
averting attention from the spotted stars until on the thirtieth night he was
whole again, his heart was restored and his hope renewed.
From that night, Moonboy
slowly dispersed and re-emerged from a small slice of pale rock to a mighty orb
of brilliant light every thirty days, in the hope of meeting with the Sun, whom
he loved dearly, and that they may again
share their ethereal beauties in the sky.
Copyright © JRFB 2013
