Poets of the Moon.

     As the last of the pink and orange rays of the sun slip below the distant horizon the moon sneaks gently into the purple sky bidding the sun farewell and welcoming in the night stars.  Nighttime is exciting, nocturnal creatures rise from their slumber (my friends and I included), the day winds down as the moon lights the way for what lies ahead in the night.  The moon is symbolic from the change of day to night, even more symbolic is the harvest moon.  Not only does the harvest moon symbolize the change from night to day, but also the change from summer to fall.  With one object holding so much significance it is a clear choice for the subject of poetry.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's sonnet, "The Harvest Moon", excitingly describes the harvest moon similarly to, Samuel Taylor Coleridge's sonnet, "To the Autumnal Moon".

     Both Coleridge and Longfellow choose to write poetry about the autumn moon in the form of a sonnet. The structure of the sonnet goes back to the middle ages, I think the authors of these poems chose to format their poems as a sonnet to symbolize that the moon is also something that has been around for as long as anyone can remember.  Coleridge and Longfellow also both express a similar excitement about the autumn moon.  In Longfellow's, "Harvest Moon", he states, "It is the harvest moon!" and "Its mystic splendor rests!"  Longfellow's use of exclamation point all throughout the sonnet exemplifies his clear excitement.  Coleridge's poem uses punctuation in the same manner to express the same feel of excitement, "Mild splendor of the various-vested night!  Mother of wildly-working visions! Hail!"  These poets are excited about the changes that are reflected in the autumn moon.

Where real memories are made.

   Memories are important.  Memories are created by memorable events or moments in our lives.  These memories we create are fragile.  The mind combined with time works in a way to change the memories we are starved to preserve.  However we live in the age of technology there is nothing holding us back from permanently recording the important events of our lives.  Wether we do so through photographs or videos it is possible for everyone to accurately sustain these moments for all of time.  Nonetheless is simply spending all the time trying to permanently record these memories truly something memorable?  Would it not be best just to be swept up in the moment and hope that your memory will serve you well?  These are the questions I found myself asking upon reading, "The Vacation", by Wendell Berry.
     Berry's poem expresses the theme of technology versus nature.  "He showed his vacation to his camera, which pictured it, preserving it forever..."  This excerpt expresses to the reader that the protagonist of the poem is not the one involved in his vacation but the camera was, the protagonist was too busy enjoying his camera to enjoy his vacation.  Berry's use of punctuation further expresses his dislike for the idea of hiding nature behind technology.  He begins and ends the poem with short choppy sentences, whereas the center of the poem is long run on sentences.  The poem begins, "Once there was a man who filmed his vacation." This verse is very short and too the point it has no passion.  On the other hand in the middle of the poem when Berry speaks of the nature that the man is filming the sentences are long and flowing, "he went flying down the river in his boat with his camera to his eye, making a moving picture of the moving river upon which his sleek boat moved swiftly towards the end of his vacation."  This sentences flows like the river the man is on, it mirrors the nature of the beauty that the man is missing while hidden behind his camera.
     I agree with Wendell Berry's point of view in this poem.  It is important to be involved in the moment instead of trying to preserve the moment.  Because in essence no moment that is worth preserving is produced when going only for the capture. "With the flick of a switch , there it would be.  But he would not be in it.  He would never be in it", this are Berry's parting words.  Although the protagonist was there he was never involved, his videos from his vacations may as well be a documentary on television.  Not a memory.

Dependency

     Smooth sailing, was all I met this afternoon as I cruised my bike from downtown all the way into the outskirts of unknown small towns.  I encountered  copious amounts of nature both within and outside of the city.  I stepped out the door only to be met by a murder of crows hovering menacingly above my building.  As I moved further into downtown I encountered city trucks scooping leaves on the side of the streets into giant piles  as squirrels scampered about nervously.  The further I moved out of the city the more calm and relaxed the nature around me became and I found myself becoming relaxed right along with it.  Instead of a malicious murder of crows I was chirped at pleasantly by the last of falls birds and the deer relaxed near the trail I forged instead of scampering away in fear.  The best type of nature is nature left to itself.
   The sad truth is that humanity cannot leave nature alone, we depend on it for our survival.  We need its resources, its minerals, its timber, its square footage to help support our culture.  It is impossible for us to leave nature unmolested by our demands. The parts that could be left in peace are frequently invaded by our endless curiosities urge to explore the unknown depths of nature.  Although it is nature's best interest for us to keep out, the opposite is true for humanity our best interest lie in the invasion of nature.

Take a Gander

     Shoot for the moon and even if you miss it you'll land in the stars.  I do not think the same can be said for those of us living in Michigan.  Shoot for the moon and chances are you will end up getting trapped in the thick cold blanket of condensation that is the seemingly ceaseless cloud cover.  Although these clouds are quite cumbersome to the enjoyment of a sunny fall day they have a lot to tell us.  With a little prior knowledge and the will to take notice one can learn so much from those puff balls lingering above our heads.  For example the flat bottomed clouds that puff up into big lumpy mounds are cumulus clouds, these clouds let everyone looking at them know that the atmosphere is stable and the weather will be fair.
     Clouds are not the only thing lingering around that can tell us what is going on in the natural world.  From the smallest fungi growing on the side of a rock to a towering sequoia reaching high up into the heavens there is something that can be learned.  It is important to make observations of even the smallest things because they could just be a precursors of something much bigger.  For example simply studying the rings of  tree can tell you what environmental conditions were like at a certain point in time and how changes in environmental conditions have effected the tree.  If humanity takes notice of what nature is telling us perhaps we can help make wise changes for the better.

Control Freak

     Man versus nature, a common theme in our world today.  Humans are always moving nature out of the way so they can move in.  Man's domination of nature is in no way permanent, nature is always slowly making its comeback.  In Holland Michigan there was a deteriorating hunk of steel, rusted, and extensively graffitied  high atop a dune.  This hunk of steel was once a proud symbol of humanities domination over this place in nature.  It began as a water tower, tall and strong.  When man's need for this structure dissipated so did the up keep.  In no time nature began to take its toll.  One small step at a time, nature brought this structure to its knees leaving it as a crumpled mass of steel. 

     It may seem at times that humans are in control of nature, the truth is that the minute we look away nature proves that it is in fact the one in power.  Instead of fighting off nature humanity would be better off trying to live harmoniously with nature.  Humanities relationship with earth could be improved by using the earth's natural resources more responsible, using green building practices,  and eating locally grown foods.  These are all small steps that could be taken to help improve our relationship with the earth that supports all life.  

     

Llamas! and Goats! and Ducks! OH MY!

     "Many people who move to the country are smitten by an urge to surround themselves with a menagerie of farm animals,"  explains Tom Springer in his book, Looking for Hickories: the Forgotten Wilderness of the Rural Midwest.  He goes on to clarify that he is not of this 'camp'.  My parents were.  We had a laundry list of animals including; cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, guinea hens, goats, sheep, llamas, and horse for a short while.  Most of whom were nothing more than pets.  We only tried eating one once, it was a rather ornery rooster, and I feel it necessary to add that he turned out to be an equally unpleasant meal (a little chewy for my liking).
     Growing up in such a setting was a very educational experience.  I watched chicks mature into chickens, my three pygmy kids became full blown pygmy goats (they're only about knee high), lambs puff up into sheep, and as I aided all of these animals to maturity they aided me.  They taught me responsibility, time management and helped me to learn to deal with adverstity. I have had the pleasure of being acquaintances with many people my age who are not even sure how to take care of themselves let alone being responsible for the life of another living being.  I think it is wise for all children to be held responsible for the life of an animal if at all possible, I suppose a plant would be an okay substitute.  It helps develop character and skills that will be maintained into adulthood.

Dune Savior

     I enjoy a good traipse through the woods.  One of my most favored stomping ground lies within the grounds of the Saugatuck Dunes State park.  My childhood home is very near to all this plot of land has to offer; rolling dunes, the felt mansion, acre upon acre of woods.  Although I did not frequent this place until I was old enough to drive myself there, for years it was a place of mystery for me.  My mother kept me home on one particularly sunny fall day when I was in second grade.  She told me we were going on an adventure.  We drove down the winding tree lined road which ended in a small parking lot, but the lot is not the end it is the start.  Just beyond the lot is a wide open prairie like expanse, a little further one can see the rolling mountains of trees, and beyond that lies the endless expanses of Lake Michigan.  It simply has it all.  While exploring with my Mom on my first trip there I vowed that I would one day explore everything this vast sanctuary had to offer.  I kept true to my vow and discovered many of the secrets that these dunes hide; wether it be the best spots to see out above the changing fall leaves, the best way to get to the lake, or the animal pens left from a zoo of yesteryear.

     When I learned that Alison Swan, the Editor of Fresh Water, and guest lecturer, was responsible for heading the efforts to protect this great piece of land I wanted to jump up and give her a hug.  Alison Swan preserved the place where many of my fresh water memories were made.  She also preserved the truly remarkable fresh water memories the women in her book, Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes.  These writers expressed thoughts and emotions about their relationships with the great lakes that I have struggled to put into words.  "Anyone with a love for or curiosity about the Great Lakes and their shorelines will be captivated", explains Swan in an interview with Dave Dempsey.  I feel that Gayle Boss best explained what being surrounded by a the Great Lakes and their seemingly neverending shorelines feels like  in her essay, "Dunetop Dying,"after a time, sensations congeal into a dominant thought: There's nothing I need".  When I find myself alone with nature I feel exactly the same.  Its as if the rest of the world does not exist and it is only me and nature sharing a special moment.