Old Dog, Young Year...Wolf Moon

Having had both big and small dogs share his life over the years, my brother once told me that little dogs often live longer but...they were old for a lot longer, too. This is certainly playing out with our experience with our dear little Shih Tzu, Minna, who turned fourteen, this past December. She has lost her sight and  has become increasingly frail, suffering what her vet calls "cognitive decline." In other words, doggy dementia. Hers mostly takes the form of getting turned around in odd places, getting "stuck" in corners or behind doors, and barking for no apparent reason. Our younger dog, Sophie, just looks at her then, with a puzzled look on her face, as though trying to understand what she's

talking about. 

But just as with some old humans, who have a sudden decline in physical and mental abilities, it's important to keep in mind that in the big picture of a lifespan, these last years of fragility are just a tiny part of the life they give to the world. And so, I was inspired to write a poem after our wee-hours-of-the-morning experience, today. (Please forgive the awkward formatting. I've yet to master the new version of Blogger!)

Old Dog, Young Year, Wolf Moon

by Kathryn Louise Wood

~Since her decline in body and mind,

blind in eye though not in soul,

we watch and listen for signs of distress,

and come to her aid when she's stuck behind doors.

And ask, without hope of answering word,

what it is that she needs when she croaks out a bark,

as, sometimes, her blind eyes stare out into space

and she shouts to the empty air that surrounds her.

Now, our sleep comes in fits and in frustrating starts

as she "woofs" in our bed, just under her breath,

and our muscles clench tight at the 3am hour,

we know that soft woof will reach desperate pitch.

Then it's jump-up-and-carry her into the night,

out the back door in the wintery cold.

But, sometimes, the chore is a gift, unexpected,

as early this morning, when urgency barked.

I gathered her up, throwing coat over gown,

and carried her out for her needed relief,

into the frost (prayed inspiration would strike her,)

and hoped she'd remember our purpose outside.

I noticed the snow-laden ground was quite glowing

and, turning my gaze away from her snuffling,

my tired eyes were filled with the shimmer of moonlight,

from a moon, crystal clear, in the frozen expanse.

And, then, I remembered its sky-spirit name,

the one for the first full moon of the year.

Then, looking back down at our tiny canine,

knew her heart was as large as the Wolf Moon was full.

I sensed the wild blood that coursed through her veins

as the clear lunar light set her form all a' glimmer,

bathing her body with bright primal beauty,

her fierce, ageless spirit belying her years.

Though shivering cold, warmth flooded my heart

for the privilege of caring for such a dear soul

who the universe granted our love to entwine, 

and the years of sheer joy she's brought to our world.~

Thanks for stopping by. Y'all come back, now!

Kate (and Minna)

-All photos by either Kate or husband, Bill Ahearn-

 

Something Old, Something New...I see the moon, and the moon sees you

"Blue Moon" August, 2018, Edenton, NC, photo by author, KLWood

This post holds something old—borrowing information from one of my 2014 posts regarding full moon names—and something new—my recently composed poem inspired by the full moon, a few nights ago. In my writing over the past few years, I've noted a couple trends: ghosts and the moon. Not necessarily at the same time. (Although my Middle Grade novel, under publishing contract with Blue Ink Press, is titled Zephyr Stone and the Moon Mist Ghost. So, yeah, those subjects have been known to combine in my moonstruck imagination.) 

Here, then, I humbly offer my poem celebrating this January's hauntingly beautiful full Wolf Moon, followed by a list and explanation of traditional full moon names.

The Wolf Moon

by Kate Louise Wood

The Wolf Moon howls in the January night,

shivering and glimmering up my spine,

stalking the waves of smoky clouds,

roaming and hunting from sterling heights.

Cold and free, it haunts the sky,

breathing its glittering mists upon us,

touching the wild, fierce core of my soul

as I gaze into its silver eyes.

"Full Moon Through the Pines" photo by KLWood

January: Wolf Moon 
Native Americans and medieval Europeans named January's full moon after the howling of hungry wolves lamenting the midwinter paucity of food. Other names for this month's full moon include Old Moon and Ice Moon.

February: Snow Moon
The typically cold, snowy weather of February in North America earned this name. Other common names include Storm Moon and Hunger Moon.

March: Worm Moon
Native Americans named this last full moon of winter for the worm trails that would appear in the newly thawed ground. Other names include Chaste Moon, Death Moon, Crust Moon (a reference to snow that would become crusty as it thawed during the day and froze at night,) and Sap Moon, after the tapping of the maple trees.

April: Pink Moon

Northern Native Americans name April's full moon for a species of early blooming wildflower. In other cultures, this moon is called the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.

May: Flower Moon
May's abundant blooms are the source of this moon's name in many cultures. Other names include the Hare Moon, the Corn Planting Moon, and the Milk Moon.

June: Strawberry Moon

"Moon Over Seward, Alaska, August 2011" photo by KLWood

In North America, the harvesting of strawberries in June gives that month's full moon its name. Some European traditions have dubbed it the Rose Moon, while other cultures named it the Hot Moon, for the beginning of summer's heat.

July: Buck Moon

Male deer, which shed their antlers every year, begin to regrow them in July, hence the Native American name for July's full moon. Other names include Thunder Moon, for the month's many summer storms, and Hay Moon, after the July hay harvest.

August: Sturgeon Moon

North American fishing tribes called August's full moon the Sturgeon Moon since that fish species was abundant during this month. It's also been called the Green Corn Moon, the Grain Moon, and the Red Moon, for the reddish hue it often takes on in the summer haze.

September: Harvest Moon 

The most familiar named moon refers to the time of year after the autumn equinox when crops are gathered. It also refers to the moon's particularly bright appearance and early rise, which lets farmers continue harvesting into the night. Other names include the Corn Moon and the Barley Moon.

"Alaska Moon" photo by KLWood

October: Hunter's Moon
The first moon following the Harvest Moon is named for the preferred time to hunt summer-fattened deer and fox unable to hide in, now, bare fields. Like the Harvest Moon, the Hunter's Moon is also particularly bright and long-lived in the sky, giving hunters the opportunity to stalk prey at night. Other names include the Travel Moon and the Dying Grass Moon.

November: Beaver Moon

There is disagreement over the origin of November's full moon name. Some say it comes from Native Americans setting beaver traps during this month, while others say the name comes from the heavy activity of beavers building their winter dams. Another name is the Frost Moon.

December: Cold Moon

The coming of winter earned December's full moon name. Other names include the Long Night moon and the Oak Moon.

And, of course, there's the Honeymoon, Blue Moon, and Carolina Moon (but I'll return to them another day, er, night.)

Thanks for stopping by. Y'all come back, now!

Kate