Helen Patrice
Eclipse
For days the newspapers rambled:
upcoming eclipse, most visible from Melbourne,
come see, come see.
Astronomers and eclipse chasers flocked
from around the world.
10am: nothing different.
Sun here, Moon there.
My mother doubted it would happen.
Only hours to go, she said,
and there's nothing special about today.
It probably won't happen.
She got on with napping.
2pm, Sun and Moon close,
yet traffic still honked,
the cat miaowed, wanting food.
2.51pm.
The Moon slid into place
in front of the Sun.
Birds silent, the Earth darkened,
dust hung in the air.
Mum started from her sleep,
looked out the window, slept again.
I dared rush outside,
look up, and see what might burn my eyes out.
Flaming corona around a black Moon.
The world could have ended,
I would not have cared.
I stood in eclipse,
knowing my mother could be wrong.
Helen Patrice is an Australian writer living in Melbourne. She works with poetry, fiction, memoir, and non-fiction. She is currently working on a memoir. Her books are: A WOMAN OF MARS (poetry), PALAEONTOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS (poetry), and SHE TOO (poetry, in collaboration).
Eclipse
For days the newspapers rambled:
upcoming eclipse, most visible from Melbourne,
come see, come see.
Astronomers and eclipse chasers flocked
from around the world.
10am: nothing different.
Sun here, Moon there.
My mother doubted it would happen.
Only hours to go, she said,
and there's nothing special about today.
It probably won't happen.
She got on with napping.
2pm, Sun and Moon close,
yet traffic still honked,
the cat miaowed, wanting food.
2.51pm.
The Moon slid into place
in front of the Sun.
Birds silent, the Earth darkened,
dust hung in the air.
Mum started from her sleep,
looked out the window, slept again.
I dared rush outside,
look up, and see what might burn my eyes out.
Flaming corona around a black Moon.
The world could have ended,
I would not have cared.
I stood in eclipse,
knowing my mother could be wrong.
Helen Patrice is an Australian writer living in Melbourne. She works with poetry, fiction, memoir, and non-fiction. She is currently working on a memoir. Her books are: A WOMAN OF MARS (poetry), PALAEONTOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS (poetry), and SHE TOO (poetry, in collaboration).