The Lesser Light by Philip Wexler

These are the first 500 of a larger in-progress collection of poems related to the moon. They were inspired by the woodblock print series, 100 Views of the Moon by the 19^th century Japanese artist, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, though the poems do not directly correspond to the prints.  Rather, the prints were a jumping-off point.  The poems represent the author’s personal take on the moon or what, in his environment or psyche, brings the moon to mind or into view.  They were triggered by thoughts, fantasies, dreams, science, everyday occurrences, historical incidents, folklore, etc.  While the connections to the moon are not always obvious and may even seem baffling, they may yet crystallize for the reader who is patient and reflective … or maybe not.