Luna Aeternalis

By an alien dream despatched and driven In a land to strange stars given, Stars that summoned forth the moon, Singing a strange red eldritch rune, I heard the coming of the moon With tremulus rim that clomb and rang, Whose rondure on the horizon rang A gong distinct with silvern clang, Re-echoing distantly, until, Arisen soon, In silent silver stood the moon Above the horizon ringing still.

Half-waned and hollow was her brow, And caverned by the night; but now Her twilight turned the stars' loud rune To muted music in a swoon, Her low light lulled the stars to drowse. Flicker and fail, and vaguely rouse: I felt the silence come and go As the red stars muttered low...

Old with moonlight lay the night, And on the desert lay Ancient and unending light That assured not of the day; For the half-moon stood to stay Fixed at the heavens" height And eternal ere the day. Triumphant stood the moon In a false and cold and constant noon: Surely in conflict fell The true, lost sun of noon; The golden might of Uriel Met some white demon of the moon.

By an alien dream despatched and driven, I found a land to demons given, To silvern, silent demons given That flew and fluttered from out the moon, Weaving about her tomb-white face With mop and mow and mad grimace, And circling down from the semilune In a dim and Saturnalian dance, To pirouette and pause and prance, To withdraw and advance, All in a wan eternal dance. Clark Ashton Smith