Saturday, May 29, 2010

Urban Moon(s)

I was looking through my files last night and found this image from late September. I liked the way the full moon was upstaged by Mission Station's moon-like clock...

The moonlight breaks upon the city's domes,
And falls along cemented steel and stone,
Upon the grayness of a million homes,
Lugubrious in unchanging monotone.
Upon the clothes behind the tenement,
That hang like ghosts suspended from the lines,
Linking each flat to each indifferent,
Incongruous and strange the moonlight shines.

There is no magic from your presence here,
Ho, moon, sad moon, tuck up your trailing robe,
Whose silver seems antique and so severe
Against the glow of one electric globe.

Go spill your beauty on the laughing faces
Of happy flowers that bloom a thousand hues,
Waiting on tiptoe in the wilding spaces,
To drink your wine mixed with sweet drafts of dews.

--Claude McKay

10 comments:

Judy Williams said...

Holy moly! That is fantastic. I LOVE the last line of that poem. What a gem!!

Have a great weekend. :)

Virginia said...

I wish I could find something this wonderful in my archives. This is trés belle!
V

Mister Earl said...

Very nice. I wonder what time it is on the moon?

Anonymous said...

This is just splendid.

dbdubya said...

If I had wandered across this blog for the first time and saw this photo, I'd be convinced you photo-shopped the moon into the shot. Since I know you don't do that, it makes it all the more spectacular. Last night was a full moon and when I saw this post last night I initially assumed you took it yesterday. Good timing.

To answer your question, Mr. Earl - It's Hammer Time - can't touch this!

TheChieftess said...

Wonderful shot Laurie!!! Ditto to DB!!!

-K- said...

Beautiful and seamless interplay between your photo and his poem.

And he's someone I've never heard of. He had intersting, thoughtful life, didn't he?

Shanna said...

Wonderful!!! Wow!

Margaret said...

I really like this one.

Laurie Allee said...

Thanks, you guys!

I took this with my point and shoot camera which gave me very little definition of the moon other than making is just a pretty, bright circle. But when I thought about it, I liked the way that the clock was in focus and the moon was a supporting player in the shot. It was one of those happy accident images that I love.

K, I recently discovered McKay. Fascinating and so talented. His work just knocks me out.

Until tomorrow, gang.