Monday, April 08, 2024

TOTALITY

by Mary Turzillo



The Sun and the Moon

did a courtship dance

did a contrary dance

nearer come nearer

far dance away


till the Sun mocked his luna love

japing “cold, changeable she” 

and “you love the earth more than me”


and it’s true: she grew fat, she grew thin,

he was hot, she was cold

Apollo, Diana:

stag and the doe


till she danced right in front of him

close to him, over him

taking delicious gold bites of him

throwing her skirts quite over him


till she blotted him out

til the night crickets sang

the the birds went to sleep

a black handkerchief over the land.


She punched a hole in the sky

where her lover had been

left a necklace of fire, a sparkle of beads

a diamond ring

for a minute or two:

the lovers' bright band

the dusk bridal veil


dark covered light, cold kissed the gold

the ring hung a promise 

a wedding of midnight and fire.



Mary Turzillo's Nebula-winner "Mars Is no Place for Children" and her Analog novel An Old-Fashioned Martian Girl were recommended reading on the International Space Station. She has been a finalist on the British SFA, Pushcart, Stoker, Dwarf Stars, and Rhysling ballots. Her poetry collection Lovers & Killers won the 2013 Elgin Award for Best Collection. Her fourth collaboration with Marge Simon, Victims, also won an Elgin. Her latest two books are Cast from Darkness, also with Simon, and Cosmic Cats and Fantastic Furballs. Mary lives in Berea, Ohio, with her scientist-writer husband, Geoffrey Landis. Today’s eclipse is her third such experience.