Moon Poem by john tiong chunghoo

the moon is the centre
of the night
carving darkness
into shapes
releasing shadows
from their souls

the moon
unleashes
hidden power
into the world
causing the sea to swirl
my fear to grow
the surgeon's
nervous first cut
where blood oozes
to the size of the moon

on beds too
two love birds sing
their passion to
the unilluminated
part of the moon

two cats launch their
roucous foreplay
in the alleyway
tickling insomniacs
offering a comic respite
to their plight

the full moon
multiplies evil
and witchcraft
in the hissing of the bats
hoots of the owls
and the towering trees
that have greeted it 100,000 days
underneath which
even my shadow shrinks
to a half moon

i know why a hundred witches spring
to action on such nights
i wish not to die on
a full moon night
though it has shed its light
in a million love poems