900 years ago, the Moon "disappeared" from the sky

4 Aug 2024

900 years ago, the Moon “disappeared” from the sky

Recommended for Middle Grades

Secrets Whispered in the Dark

For centuries, I, the Moon, have bathed the Earth in my silvery light. I’ve witnessed empires rise and fall, heard whispers of love and cries of war carried on the night wind. But in the year 1110, something peculiar happened. One night…I simply vanished from the sky! The people were bewildered; where had their celestial companion gone?

Years, decades, even centuries passed, and the mystery remained unsolved. Stars twinkled knowingly, but they kept their secrets. Then those clever humans, with their curious minds and determined hearts, turned their gaze back to the past. They studied ancient tree rings, those whispered histories held within old wood. They ventured to icy lands, seeking answers locked in frozen time.

And finally, they found me! Turns out, my disappearance wasn’t magic, but the work of a fiery mountain far across the sea. Mount Asama, in a fit of rage, had coughed ash and smoke so high it veiled even my light. Tiny specks, almost invisible, had drifted across the world like mischievous shadows, dimming my glow.

Volcanoes are powerful, that much I’ve always known. But I never realized their reach could extend to the heavens themselves. Yet, the humans unraveled this puzzle, piecing together clues with a patience I’ve come to admire. Tonight, as I shine down on them, I feel a flicker of pride. These small creatures, bound to their Earth, have learned to read the secrets of the sky. Perhaps one day, they’ll even walk upon my dusty surface, and I can only wonder what stories they’ll find written there.

The Lessons of Time and Ash

Though once I faded in the night,
My shadowed form hid from their sight,
Their seeking eyes refused to rest,
On whispered clues, a timeless quest.

In rings of trees, in frozen lands,
The answers lay in clever hands.
A mountain’s breath, a veil of grey,
Dimmed my glow that distant day.

From Earth they reach to touch the sky,
Unravel threads where secrets lie.
And though they’re small beneath my gleam,
Their boundless hearts hold boundless dreams.