The moon’s an onion

· by · in poetry. ·


The moon’s an onion, sun’s a pear
as sweet as gold but silver-sharp
the bitter night consists of tears.
Yet daylight bring me teeth of sharks
it’s cruel scimitars, it’s swords.
it’s clotted blood and battlefields
and only moonlight cool with words
to sooth and mend the seventh seal.
Lamenting day and quench my fear.

Strong dream by Paul Klee

Strong dream by Paul Klee


At toads it’s time to do 55 words again at toads with Hedge. I seem to be in rhyming mood… I will also link up to Poetry Pantry tomorrow.

—
December 5, 2015

41 responses to “The moon’s an onion”

  1. I done understand it but that image by Paul Klee is cool; you poet is sharp and biting without written teeth
    Thanks for dropping in to read mine, i have tweaked it a bit, and added an image and new video. Please visit again

    much love…

  4. Bjorn, you so often show your readers different ways of looking at things. This poem is no exception….wonderful imagery. And, ha, looking at Simon and Garfunkel makes me VERY nostalgic.

  5. This is about loving a woman. About peeling back her layers to find sweetness, quick wit, bite, and even tenderness. This one sounds bipolar. She’s both the sun and the moon. Her behaviors are “like day and night” in their contrast.

  11. Our real world and our dream world so often must mend each other, or destroy each other, and ourselves–here you seem to have a truce, where neither has won, and night brings a drained comfort with a softer sorrow (in her own ambiguous way) after the battles and blood of day. Your imagery is just striking throughout. Thanks for joining us (and excelling) in the rigorous discipline of the 55, Bjorn.

  13. A strong dream..and a strong poem..i love that moon and sun have become animate in a way…entering into our fruit bowl or our fridge…like life…if only waking and sleeping were peaceful and no blood and swords were needed

  17. I love this, Bjorn! I love how you play out the paradox of dark and light. And thanks too for that particular Simon and Garfunkle!

  19. What an amazing post….the tears, the teeth, the blood felt sharply as we continue down this gruesome path. And what a fitting end with the Simon and Garfunkel song….the early stuff was the best and this is particularly wonderful!

  22. “To soothe and mend the Seventh Seal.” That line I’ve read over now a few times. It’s just a wonderful image, and I think the most important line in the poem. It makes this hopeful, not as dark.

  23. You had me at Paul Klee, then you shook the room & the prompt with women/moon as peeling onion, & crossovers from reality to dreams, both ways. G-Man would be proud; sterling 55.

  24. I enjoyed this so much. A good rhyme is very sweet. I haven’t written a 55 in such a long time. Must try again soon. Have a great day Bjorn.

  25. O dear! what a mess i made of my comment to you yesterday afternoon; written in a hurry, i was trying to finish some visits before going to evening Mass

    corrections: 1, don’t understand it but that image by Paul Klee is cool; ; 2. your poem…

    Have a nice Sunday, thanks for dropping in at my Sunday Lime

    much love…

  26. ok Bjorn we both have the number 7…synchronicity of some sorts yours a seal mine a star. The bittersweet of life…will there be complete silence once the seal is broken..

  27. I do like the thoughts of the moon being an onion – I immediately in my mind got the picture of one of those pure white cocktail onions with its delicate layers. Synesthesia in this, back and forth from dream to reality and then the biblical seventh seal….You always take something ordinary and make it unusual, a different slant. And Simon and Garfunkle – I’ve been humming this song for a couple of weeks. Must be something in the energy flowing through and around this earth.

  28. I thought I came of age with Simon and Garfunkle but I don’t remember them ever being as young as some of the photos in the video. Your poem flows with contrast, both vivid and intriguing,

    Elizabeth

    That Moment

  29. I love the words, the rhymes, the whimsy. The image and the song are a bonus.

  30. The onion and the pear – a strong, organic concept upon which to lay this wonderful intermingling of contrasts between night and day. The imagery in this, is so-o-o fine. An awesome piece of poetry.

  35. Huh. I can honestly say I’ve never looked at the moon like an onion or the sun like a pear. Thank you for introducing me to that vision! Feels a bit synesthesia-esque to me, too.

  36. Nice sound when read aloud, the sun is sharp I can attest to that some places I’ve been couldn’t wait for the soothing touch of the moon, nicely done!

  37. Intriguing how the moon can be gentle and sweet, but bring dreams of violence throughout the ages — in ocean, on land, in past, in present. Even the sweetness of the moon can’t take us to a safe place, can it? Powerful poem with well chosen words.

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