“Stand outside,

In the pools of the harvest moon.”

Carl Sandburg

Today’s ancient astronomical calendar

Heralds in the arrival of ‘The Harvest Moon’

I love perching on the banks of a wilderness lake

As I marvel at it, and the ancient song of the Loon

And soon, in my mind’s eye, all along the moonlit lakeshore

I can envision grateful natives harvesting their wild rice crops

The thankful Ojibwa called this Harvest Moon ‘The Rice Moon’

This natural food staple fed their people, until Winter’s snow stops

The ancient native peoples of the Southwest called it ‘Great Corn Moon’

They respected its arrival, knowing it marked the time to harvest their food

And hardy pioneer farmers in North America also soon learned to revere it

Harvest Moon’s brilliant light for picking their crops, put them in a good mood

The Ancient Druids, so far across the vast expanses of the Atlantic Ocean

Always marked the arrival of Harvest Moon with a Sacred Ritual and Dance

And today, in our hustle and bustle world of fast food and corporate grocers

The majority of people across this planet, won’t even give it a second glance

So Take Just a Few Minutes, and Go Outside Tonight to Observe It,

Giving Your Thanks for This Celestial Orb called The Harvest Moon;

We Modern Human Beings Have Truly Forgotten God’s Many Gifts,

And Show Little Respect For the Bounty He Provided, Much Too Soon.

And No Matter Where You Live on This Ancient Earth,

The Bright Moon Will Look Round and Very Full Tonight;

For Us in the Northern Hemisphere, It Heralds in Our Autumn,

For Those in the Southern Hemisphere, It Brings Spring’s Delight.

And Take a Look at the Very Short Video Linked Below,

Honoring Tonight’s Truly Wondrous Harvest Moon.

†2007, Mr. Ed