Question:
if the tide is lured by the moon
why does it rise
twice
each day
if the moon
only circles us once?
Answer:
moonlight stirs the water it illuminates
into aching tongue-hanging
lapping against its shore
Earth too is not immune
tugs the tether of its orbit if only
to be a moment closer to her glow
but why does the sea
on Earth’s moon-dark side also rise
when Moon is at her furthest?
imagine tasting moonlight
then watching her slip behind Earth
how could that flavor ever escape you?
as Earth leans moonward
the seafloor drops like a swallowed heart
and in these depths we see “rising”
and so there is nowhere on Earth
you could go where I
could ignore the pull of you
Frederick Livingston plants seeds, grounded in experiential education and sustainable agriculture. He hopes to grow poems, peace, mangos and avocados. His work has appeared in numerous literary and scientific journals, public parks, and bathroom stalls. His first poetry collection, “The Moon and Other Fruits” is expected in early 2023 from Legacy Book Press.