MOONRISE NO. 22

1 August 1998
Raymond C. Sison

"Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes." - Goethe

FEATURED POEM: "FEBRUARY THE 5TH"

Welcome to "Moonrise No. 22." This issue presents an oldie but goodie poem with a very interesting story behind it. Page down to see the poem and its unique origins.

Pictures: Left, the "Is it you?" scene from the movie "Somewhere in Time." Seeing this enthralling, romantic movie in October 1981 when I was 16 helped inspire my first poems--and my poetic awakening. Below: picture from the cover of the novella "Memoirs of Elise," the proposed sequel/prequel to "Somewhere in Time" by David L. Gurnee.

FEBRUARY THE 5TH (13 January 1991)

You're leaving now like I knew you would.
You're leaving this place the way you should:
With chin held high and no tears to shed;
With a gleam in your eye and a dream in your head.

You'll see the world in all its glory,
Living out your fairytale story.
But look back again someday and you may see
The ghost of a girl so real to me...

A unicorn of a girl, her heart untethered.
A gypsy of a girl, her soul unfettered.
A cloud of brown hair, dancing in a spiral.
A face of dew, entrancing lips of coral.

A girl who inspired me beyond my worth.
Who helped me at times to forget this earth.
Who savoured life and caressed each minute.
Who was my world and everything in it...

But she's leaving now like I new she would.
I'd tell her I love her if only I could.
Maybe someday she'll realize how much I care
For the beautiful girl who use to live there.

THE STORY BEHIND THE POEM This poem has a very interesting story behind it--perhaps more unique than any you have ever heard about. On February 5, 1982 I was in high school and found a dark beige piece of paper in a typewriter. (This was before the age of computer word processors!) On it was a very rough poem, obviously written by someone in their teens like me. The basic idea of this poem (along with several of the key phrases) became the foundation for the poem that I present here.

To this day I do not know who this person was who wrote the rough genesis of this poem; and I do consider this unknown mystery person the co-author of this poem.

Off and on over the years I tinkered with this poem. It was in January of 1991 when it pretty much reached its final form. By 1991 I had better command over language and rhyming--but the poem still retains its original theme and feeling.

I look upon this poem quite fondly because it is a tie to my teenage years--to my first poems. And there is an innocence from my past in this poem that I treasure. Incidentally, I also recall reading the book "Ethan Frome" (by Edith Wharton) on February 2, 1982 (cramming for an English test). This tale of tragic romanticism certainly added to the emotion behind "February the 5th."

- Raymond C. Sison, Sunnyvale, California, 1 August 1998

MOONRISE NO. 22

1 August 1998 Raymond C. Sison

1 August 1998
Raymond C. Sison