5 Things about the Eclipse

and The Annunciation

Hello, Poetry Friend

My friend Tresta Payne, at More Beautiful Than Necessary, wrote a 5 things essay. She inspired me to write one of my own.

Hope all y’all had a happy Monday, whatever portentous events occurred.

Behold

1. The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord should not move, but move it did — two whole weeks late. Which would mean if Jesus' gestation was on this timeline, Christmas would come a little early.

The 7:30 a.m. Mass was cancelled. Too much uncertain.

2. A total eclipse occurs at 1:32 p.m. We are in the path of totality, so regardless of weather — sun or clouds or some combination of shadow and bright — midday brings 4 1/2 minutes of darkness. 

We pull lime green beach chairs into the backyard, don eclipse glasses, look up. I pour a large glass of Texas Heritage Vineyard's Time Traveler into a blue glass.

3. The Lord told Ahaz to ask for a sign, even one "high as the sky." What if the king had dared to request the new moon to eclipse the sun, to create shadow where it shouldn't be, to silence the birds. Would he cheer when he saw the sign? Or when the birds resumed their singing?

4. Victimae paschali laudes—Sequence in the Octave of Easter
          Speak, Mary, declaring
                      What you saw, wayfaring.

5. Behold. Behold. Behold. 

Happy poeming! Or 5 things essaying!

Megan