"Moon Path" by Ivan Aivazovsky ‘Eluding Beauty’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant The Society October 17, 2022 Beauty, Poetry 28 Comments . Eluding Beauty “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” —William Shakespeare I yearn to write about the moon, __The moon and that is all— The moon, a lunar-pearl balloon, The moon that drenches mossy tomb, The moon that blenches blue lagoon… __But I can hear you call. You call from fringes of the night __Where sequined ogres slink. Your voice is tinged with flight and fright. You speak of schemers sucking light From souls until they’ve lost their sight. __You summon seas of ink. I burn to write about the sky, __The sky and that is all— The sky that gilds the sun-soaked eye, The sky that sparks a cloudless sigh, The sky where larks and legends fly… __But I can hear you call. You call from shadows on the street. __You call from ditch and den, Where fleecy jackals like to greet The lambs who don’t know snarl from bleat, And flattered flocks will meet defeat. __Your story begs my pen. I ache to write about the trees, __The trees and that is all— The trees that cherry-scent the breeze, The trees to blame for summer’s sneeze, The trees aflame in frost-kissed leas… __But I can hear you call. You call from corners of my mind. __You stoke the fire in me. You stir my heart to seek and find Words beyond the moonstruck kind. I won’t let beauty strike me blind, __Dear Truth—I’ll set You free. . . Ode to the Moon I see your glow amid the sweep and sprawl— Your glimmer twixt the glitter of the stars That stud the ebon voile of midnight’s shawl. You draw the gaze of guttersnipes and czars. As melancholic magic swathes the earth, You radiate your opal alchemy. You spur the howl of wolf and hoot of owl. You kiss the slavish tide with silver mirth. As fireflies flash in garish rhapsody, You lure the pampered felines out to prowl. You spark the eerie laughter of the loon. You whet the glinting edge of ire’s knife. You toy with passions. No one is immune— The lover swoons, the loser steals a life. With gold-dust luster stolen from the sun You beam your mystic sheen through chink and blind Till sweet things sleep and thirsty counts take flight. While manic minds and maidens come undone, I contemplate your duties and I find Your alabaster beauty lights my night. Your lunar legends ripple through my dreams— A werewolf’s claw, a monkey’s paw, a knock, A bloody fang, a pitchfork gang, shrill screams From critters in the bitter aftershock Of something grim and ghoulish in your glare. You rouse my Muse who passes me my pen, Then fills my head with words in hues of blue— Words that spill in ink and sing with flair Of reasons why and how and where and when I swung on stars… but fell in love with you. Originally published in Expansive Poetry Online . . Susan Jarvis Bryant has poetry published on Lighten Up Online, Snakeskin, Light, Sparks of Calliope, and Expansive Poetry Online. She also has poetry published in TRINACRIA, Beth Houston’s Extreme Formal Poems anthology, and in Openings (anthologies of poems by Open University Poets in the UK). Susan is the winner of the 2020 International SCP Poetry Competition, and has been nominated for the 2022 Pushcart Prize. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 28 Responses Allegra Silberstein October 17, 2022 You yearned to write about the moon and then wrote a lovely Ode to the Moon…thank you…Allegra Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Thank you very much, Allegra. Sometimes the moon wins … just sometimes 😉 Reply Joshua C. Frank October 17, 2022 Susan, these are great, both of them! The first one expresses very well your desire to write about the beauty of nature frustrated by the call to protest the lies taught by the modern world… then you write one about the moon anyway! I, too, would rather just write about beautiful things… in my case, the beauty of God, of living in harmony with Him, of loving families, of tradition… and I do write some of those, but like you, I’m often pulled toward writing about the ugliness of sin and of the modern world that loves it so much and hates the beautiful things I like to write about. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Josh. It’s great to know I’m not alone in my musings. It would be great to write about beauty every day, but… you know the rest. Reply Brian Yapko October 17, 2022 Susan, both of those are superlatively well done. Your “Ode to the Moon” is particularly entertaining because you take so many lunar stereotypes and fracture and twist them into something utterly original. But it is your “Eluding Beauty” (great title!) which really grabs me for the honest yet poetic depiction of your complete inability to avoid writing about the truth. I can relate. I love both of these poems. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Brian, to receive a ‘superlatively’ from you is a smile-inducing treat. I’m thrilled you like the title of ‘Eluding Beauty’… I sweated over that one. I had a great suggestion from one who knows, but my stubborn Muse won… as she always does. It’s wonderful to hear I’m not alone in my poetic quest. Thank you for your continued support and inspiration. Reply Norma Pain October 17, 2022 Susan, I try to absorb the beauty and complexity of your writing so that I may someday spit out something similar. I love both of these poems and especially ‘Eluding Beauty’ because I love repetition in poetry and you have used it wonderfully here. Thank you. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Norma, thank you very much, my friend in poetry. I believe in the diversity of poetry… everyone has their go-to works, and your poems are mine. They not only offer beauty, they offer a smile or a good belly-laugh (the best medicine for misery), and they shine a common-sense light on the idiocy afoot in today’s wacky world. Norma, keep doing what you do. I’m a fan!! Reply Russel Winick October 17, 2022 I’m with Norma. I read your poems to, among other things, learn poetry from them. The final line in Ode grabbed me that way. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Russel, I’m thrilled to hear this. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to swing on a star… many old songs have mentioned its wonder … but, for me the moon always steals the show. I love your bite-size pieces of poetic wisdom… please don’t stop! They keep me sane. 🙂 Reply Anna J. Arredondo October 18, 2022 Susan, Aha! Here is the poem you alluded to recently. I think you came up with a lovely compromise in “Eluding Beauty”. You long to write about the moon, the sky, the trees, and that is all, yet you interweave it with the insistent call of your Muse to bring truth to the forefront. In the end you do both; the moon, the sky, the trees are praised — but that’s NOT all — you are faithful to set your pen in motion to shine a light on many of the ills mucking up our world these days. Well done, I like it! Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Anna, your beautiful take on ‘Eluding Beauty’ has me smiling. You get exactly what I was trying to do… and I loved every minute of composing this poem. The sad thing is, there is much truth in it. I never thought I’d write some of the gritty pieces I’ve written of late… but then, I never thought I’d be living in the world we’re living in today. Thank you for your fine eye and encouragement. Reply Ronald J. Lockley (Conor Kelly) October 18, 2022 Keats said, “Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty…” But he didn’t live in modern America. It takes great courage to elude beauty, despite its attractions, and constantly seek out truth as you do in your poems and comments on this site. Well done, Susan. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Ronald, thank you very much indeed. I drew upon Keats’ wonderful observation when I wrote the poem and I’m glad he was alive then and not now… otherwise, we may never have heard such beautiful words. Your beautiful words mean a lot. Reply Roy E. Peterson October 18, 2022 Susan, both poems are superbly phrased and rhymed that incorporate important messages of not being blinded by beauty and then falling in love. There is so much to consider in each of these poems and the imagery sparkles with fresh perspectives. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Roy, I always appreciate your comments and this one is wonderful… thank you! I would also like to express my gratitude for your continued support of my poetry… it’s people like your good self, who spur me on with every subject I undertake, that make my words worthwhile and forthcoming. Reply Cynthia Erlandson October 18, 2022 Really beautiful, Susan! “Midnight shawl”; “melancholic magic”; “opal alchemy” — you hear the music of beauty and truth and put it into words, whether it’s reveling in pure beauty, or proclaiming truth in opposition to lies, which I think most of us poets wish were not there to interfere with the pure beauty and our pursuit of it. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 19, 2022 Cynthia, thank you very much for the truth and beauty of your comment. You understand exactly where I’m coming from with my poetic endeavors, and for that I am most grateful… and smiling. I thoroughly appreciate your encouragement and inspiration. Reply Joseph S. Salemi October 19, 2022 I loved this “Ode to the Moon” when it appeared at Expansive Poetry, but there is no way to comment there. This poem shows Susan using all her manifold powers at full steam — and the diction is stunning in its variegated magnificence. This poet is NOT AFRAID to use all the tools and treasures available to a poet, unlike modernists who cling to an outdated ideology of parsimonious self-strangulation. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 20, 2022 Joe, thank you for your appreciative comment on “Ode to the Moon”, but more importantly, thank you for your marvelous message to all poets to write “fearlessly” – one of the glorious reasons this poem exists. Reply C.B. Anderson October 20, 2022 Well, Susan, you have foregone a few dashes of beauty in order to serve up many healthy dollops of truth, which is an indication of your essential goodness. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Thank you, C.B., I try my best. 🙂 Reply Satyananda Sarangi October 22, 2022 Susan ma’am, I loved and enjoyed both the poems. The first poem began with a delicate touch, finally ending with some serious message. The second poem is a classic one. As I read it, I was reminded of ‘The Moon’ by R.L.Stevenson and ‘Silver’ by Walter de la Mare. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Satyananda, I thoroughly appreciate your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my moon moments, and I’m thrilled they reminded you of these beautiful poems… I’m proud to be up there with the moon masters. Thank you! Reply Yael October 22, 2022 Both of these poems are very delightful and enjoyable to read. I like how you tell the story of your struggle and resolution in Eluding Beauty. The repetitions serve to illustrate the recurring nature and the lengthiness of your ordeal, which only ends when you resolve to follow your call of duty. The imagery in the word pictures you draw in Ode To The Moon is very intriguing and engaging and beautiful, thank you. The luminous moon painting is a nice addition, too. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Yael, I too love that luminous moon painting. It frameworks my poetry beautifully… thank you, Evan! As you well know by now, my struggle is constant… truth or beauty… beauty or truth? Beauty and truth are my aim, but my Muse’s prompts are often as far from beautiful as a poet can imagine. I will, however, continue to do my best. Your appreciation and continued support are a shining gift. Thank you! Reply Margaret Coats October 26, 2022 To have Truth trailing you is good fortune indeed, if you have good will toward her. You do her work well in many ways. “Ode to the Moon” is conveniently re-published here close to Halloween! You have the dark side of the moon well covered, while not neglecting the purer attractions. I especially like “I contemplate your duties.” It is more than a mere excuse for an internal rhyme with “beauty” in the following line, because the moon was created for the purpose of giving light to the night, as you recognize. This is splendid but unobtrusive service to Truth, against anyone who thinks the moon exists due to random whirling of matter billions of years ago. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Margaret, thank you for your marvelous comment. I do have good will toward Truth, and always try to do right by her… a tough call in times where our ears and eyes are constantly assaulted by lies. Knowing right from wrong based on immutable and not subjective truth is a great start. I particularly like your duties/beauty observation on rhyme… it wasn’t gratuitous and just so happens to fit perfectly… a subtle, internal positioning that only a fine eye would spot. Margaret, your closing line has me grinning… a cool yet searing statement that begs to be poeticized. Thank you!! Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Allegra Silberstein October 17, 2022 You yearned to write about the moon and then wrote a lovely Ode to the Moon…thank you…Allegra Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Thank you very much, Allegra. Sometimes the moon wins … just sometimes 😉 Reply
Joshua C. Frank October 17, 2022 Susan, these are great, both of them! The first one expresses very well your desire to write about the beauty of nature frustrated by the call to protest the lies taught by the modern world… then you write one about the moon anyway! I, too, would rather just write about beautiful things… in my case, the beauty of God, of living in harmony with Him, of loving families, of tradition… and I do write some of those, but like you, I’m often pulled toward writing about the ugliness of sin and of the modern world that loves it so much and hates the beautiful things I like to write about. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Josh. It’s great to know I’m not alone in my musings. It would be great to write about beauty every day, but… you know the rest. Reply
Brian Yapko October 17, 2022 Susan, both of those are superlatively well done. Your “Ode to the Moon” is particularly entertaining because you take so many lunar stereotypes and fracture and twist them into something utterly original. But it is your “Eluding Beauty” (great title!) which really grabs me for the honest yet poetic depiction of your complete inability to avoid writing about the truth. I can relate. I love both of these poems. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Brian, to receive a ‘superlatively’ from you is a smile-inducing treat. I’m thrilled you like the title of ‘Eluding Beauty’… I sweated over that one. I had a great suggestion from one who knows, but my stubborn Muse won… as she always does. It’s wonderful to hear I’m not alone in my poetic quest. Thank you for your continued support and inspiration. Reply
Norma Pain October 17, 2022 Susan, I try to absorb the beauty and complexity of your writing so that I may someday spit out something similar. I love both of these poems and especially ‘Eluding Beauty’ because I love repetition in poetry and you have used it wonderfully here. Thank you. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Norma, thank you very much, my friend in poetry. I believe in the diversity of poetry… everyone has their go-to works, and your poems are mine. They not only offer beauty, they offer a smile or a good belly-laugh (the best medicine for misery), and they shine a common-sense light on the idiocy afoot in today’s wacky world. Norma, keep doing what you do. I’m a fan!! Reply
Russel Winick October 17, 2022 I’m with Norma. I read your poems to, among other things, learn poetry from them. The final line in Ode grabbed me that way. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Russel, I’m thrilled to hear this. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to swing on a star… many old songs have mentioned its wonder … but, for me the moon always steals the show. I love your bite-size pieces of poetic wisdom… please don’t stop! They keep me sane. 🙂 Reply
Anna J. Arredondo October 18, 2022 Susan, Aha! Here is the poem you alluded to recently. I think you came up with a lovely compromise in “Eluding Beauty”. You long to write about the moon, the sky, the trees, and that is all, yet you interweave it with the insistent call of your Muse to bring truth to the forefront. In the end you do both; the moon, the sky, the trees are praised — but that’s NOT all — you are faithful to set your pen in motion to shine a light on many of the ills mucking up our world these days. Well done, I like it! Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Anna, your beautiful take on ‘Eluding Beauty’ has me smiling. You get exactly what I was trying to do… and I loved every minute of composing this poem. The sad thing is, there is much truth in it. I never thought I’d write some of the gritty pieces I’ve written of late… but then, I never thought I’d be living in the world we’re living in today. Thank you for your fine eye and encouragement. Reply
Ronald J. Lockley (Conor Kelly) October 18, 2022 Keats said, “Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty…” But he didn’t live in modern America. It takes great courage to elude beauty, despite its attractions, and constantly seek out truth as you do in your poems and comments on this site. Well done, Susan. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Ronald, thank you very much indeed. I drew upon Keats’ wonderful observation when I wrote the poem and I’m glad he was alive then and not now… otherwise, we may never have heard such beautiful words. Your beautiful words mean a lot. Reply
Roy E. Peterson October 18, 2022 Susan, both poems are superbly phrased and rhymed that incorporate important messages of not being blinded by beauty and then falling in love. There is so much to consider in each of these poems and the imagery sparkles with fresh perspectives. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 18, 2022 Roy, I always appreciate your comments and this one is wonderful… thank you! I would also like to express my gratitude for your continued support of my poetry… it’s people like your good self, who spur me on with every subject I undertake, that make my words worthwhile and forthcoming. Reply
Cynthia Erlandson October 18, 2022 Really beautiful, Susan! “Midnight shawl”; “melancholic magic”; “opal alchemy” — you hear the music of beauty and truth and put it into words, whether it’s reveling in pure beauty, or proclaiming truth in opposition to lies, which I think most of us poets wish were not there to interfere with the pure beauty and our pursuit of it. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 19, 2022 Cynthia, thank you very much for the truth and beauty of your comment. You understand exactly where I’m coming from with my poetic endeavors, and for that I am most grateful… and smiling. I thoroughly appreciate your encouragement and inspiration. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi October 19, 2022 I loved this “Ode to the Moon” when it appeared at Expansive Poetry, but there is no way to comment there. This poem shows Susan using all her manifold powers at full steam — and the diction is stunning in its variegated magnificence. This poet is NOT AFRAID to use all the tools and treasures available to a poet, unlike modernists who cling to an outdated ideology of parsimonious self-strangulation. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 20, 2022 Joe, thank you for your appreciative comment on “Ode to the Moon”, but more importantly, thank you for your marvelous message to all poets to write “fearlessly” – one of the glorious reasons this poem exists. Reply
C.B. Anderson October 20, 2022 Well, Susan, you have foregone a few dashes of beauty in order to serve up many healthy dollops of truth, which is an indication of your essential goodness. Reply
Satyananda Sarangi October 22, 2022 Susan ma’am, I loved and enjoyed both the poems. The first poem began with a delicate touch, finally ending with some serious message. The second poem is a classic one. As I read it, I was reminded of ‘The Moon’ by R.L.Stevenson and ‘Silver’ by Walter de la Mare. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Satyananda, I thoroughly appreciate your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my moon moments, and I’m thrilled they reminded you of these beautiful poems… I’m proud to be up there with the moon masters. Thank you! Reply
Yael October 22, 2022 Both of these poems are very delightful and enjoyable to read. I like how you tell the story of your struggle and resolution in Eluding Beauty. The repetitions serve to illustrate the recurring nature and the lengthiness of your ordeal, which only ends when you resolve to follow your call of duty. The imagery in the word pictures you draw in Ode To The Moon is very intriguing and engaging and beautiful, thank you. The luminous moon painting is a nice addition, too. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Yael, I too love that luminous moon painting. It frameworks my poetry beautifully… thank you, Evan! As you well know by now, my struggle is constant… truth or beauty… beauty or truth? Beauty and truth are my aim, but my Muse’s prompts are often as far from beautiful as a poet can imagine. I will, however, continue to do my best. Your appreciation and continued support are a shining gift. Thank you! Reply
Margaret Coats October 26, 2022 To have Truth trailing you is good fortune indeed, if you have good will toward her. You do her work well in many ways. “Ode to the Moon” is conveniently re-published here close to Halloween! You have the dark side of the moon well covered, while not neglecting the purer attractions. I especially like “I contemplate your duties.” It is more than a mere excuse for an internal rhyme with “beauty” in the following line, because the moon was created for the purpose of giving light to the night, as you recognize. This is splendid but unobtrusive service to Truth, against anyone who thinks the moon exists due to random whirling of matter billions of years ago. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant October 28, 2022 Margaret, thank you for your marvelous comment. I do have good will toward Truth, and always try to do right by her… a tough call in times where our ears and eyes are constantly assaulted by lies. Knowing right from wrong based on immutable and not subjective truth is a great start. I particularly like your duties/beauty observation on rhyme… it wasn’t gratuitous and just so happens to fit perfectly… a subtle, internal positioning that only a fine eye would spot. Margaret, your closing line has me grinning… a cool yet searing statement that begs to be poeticized. Thank you!! Reply
