The Solar Eclipse 2017 was the *literal* highlight of today; all anyone seems to be able to talk about are eclipse glasses, viewing parties, live streams, testimonials of why not to stare directly into the sun, apocalyptic premonitions, the stupidity of needing to be told not to stare into the sun, pinhole box tutorials, etc.
Although I did get in the spirit of the eclipse by making a rather shoddy pinhole box and baking “eclipse cookies,” it became, for me, an opportunity for theological and allegorical contemplation. As with most moments of intense thought, poetry happened. Please read (aloud if possible!) the following and share either this post or your thoughts.
“Eclipse”
In the beginning were made two lights:
The Greater gleam to rule the day,
The Lesser govern vassal night.
The First burns of his own pure pow’r,
The Second purposed to reflect,
Yet greedy, grabs a sunlit hour
And, doing so, her rule rejects.
She vain ascends from queenly throne
To tame and topple truer King,
Like we who take more than our own
But conquer only creeping things.
We watch below to cheer her course
For hers is our selfsame desire;
We both image a brighter source
Yet wish to usurp fueling fire.
The Lesser light in pride covers
The shine of right ruler at last.
But lunatic, our governor,
Can only fleeting shadows cast.
Yet we determine just as she
To place self ‘fore the Greater one
And forget in sad irony
That we glow solely by the sun!
Pure gold cannot be dimmed by her
Except to those on lowly earth.
She blots naught but her own silver
And rules as we but dark and dearth.
Though hidden to our sight below
The King yet unabated burns.
The moon cannot his rule o’erthrow
And to permitted path returns.
For when she did achieve her aim
False queen could barely extend night.
Just so, we find ourselves the same;
When seeking more, losing all light.
Soon scheming moon shall fall away
And eclipse turn coronation;
To crown the sun’s most radiant rays
That lumine ‘cross all creation.
Ryanne Molinari 
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