The Moon

The Moon, or,
How to solve the world’s problems

The sunlight shining
On the surface of the Moon
Arrives undimmed
By an atmosphere.
Without cloud cover
It has an extra radiance.

And so, if long, photovoltaic
Bandages of silver solar panels
Were wrapped around the Moon
To harvest pure sunlight,
The Earth could be solarized
And its energy needs met
By billions of terawatts
Relayed by microwave
And beamed down to earth,
Allowing the Earth’s ancient Moon
To stem Earth’s rising tides
For as long as the Sun may last –
Thus calming the polluted ferment
Now cursing Earth with a deadline.

The Selenium in solar cells
Generates electric power
And, by coincidence,
Selene is the goddess of the Moon –
As if her silent, wordless Moon magic
Was fated to make this interconnected galaxy
Queerer than we can ever think
And give Earth a new beginning.

Life on Earth first began
With tides caused by the Moon –
Powerful cyclic tides creating
Self-replicating molecules –
And thus, before the world ends,
A Moon Messiah may heal
The breathless lunacy below,
Upon which it still smiles.

 

 

Heathcote Williams


By Heathcote Williams

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