New moon book on Monday

Yes, it’s Monday, yes, it’s the new moon, and yes, the book with my moon poem is out now!

The Polaris Trilogy: Poems for the Moon with poems selected to travel to the Moon with NASA next year was published by Brick Street Poetry, Inc. and is available through Amazon.com (and regional Amazon websites) here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSWS61PV

I love the first paragraph of its description on Amazon:

The Polaris Trilogy has been compiled as a gift
to the Moon by its three editors: Joyce Brinkman,
Dr. Joe Heithaus, and Jessica Reed. This anthology
will be available to those who visit the Moon for
millions of years to come. It will arrive on a NASA
flight and become part of the Lunar Codex at the
Moon’s South Pole.

My poem is a gift to the moon. Wow.

Roughly 150 poems by 150 poets from all over the world have been left in original languages and divided into three sections by continent. Europe is in the first section. The only input we got for our poem is to write about either ROCK, AIR, WATER, or all three of them which is what I chose.

Thus, my poem is called Kamen, zrak in voda (“Rock, Air and Water”). The plan is to make a recording of my reading of the poem both in original and in my English translation later this year for the Off the Bricks podcast. Until then you get only this tease.

When all else fails,

rock, air and water

go on a little trip.

Tensions flow.

Most of the poems are in English, including those of my friend Kerfe Roig (here we go, K.!) and Robert Okaji, for example. I recognize Jane Dougherty as well but hers is in French. Yet there are many other languages as well. I’m curious if there is anybody who can read all these poem gifts. This is quite a thing to behold.

The first thing I did was put the book in our olive tree and on our gate to take some photos, which is what I do with everything I love. Here it is next to the remains of the praying mantis egg sack. (Really! To the left of the book. I caught it laying eggs but missed the moment when they were hatched.)

I thought to make a selection of first reactions from family and friends, mostly bloggers, upon learning the news this Christmas. In the name is the link to a fresh blogpost.

My granddaughter Bennett wants to be an astronaut – I am going to share this news with her. She will be as happy for you as I am. ~Melinda

Now I can say, I have a friend whose poem has gone to space. ~Smitha

You are the first of my friends to go to the moon. ~Crystal

Will someone read the poems on the moon? ~Snow

Congratulations, Manja! Now I call you MMMM!!! ~Jem

An interstellar superstar you are! ~Randall

You are a true lunatic! ~Sunra Nina

I’m happy to have you represent Earthlings. ~Dan

See you on the moon!  ~Kerfe

Just like my poem, the comments of my Slovenian family members and one friend remain in the original, too. The Moon doesn’t mind. The Moon understands.

Kle komi verjamejo. Bravo! Nč jasn, čist hudo. ~Sis

Komaj čakamo na objavo – in na izlet posrečene pesmi. ~Dad

Enkrat si rekla, da boš slavna. E V O !!! ~Mum

Naša bližnja sorodnica prva Slovenka na Luni! ~Duša

Tudi mi, ki te poznamo, bomo malo poleteli v vesolje, nasproti večnosti. ~Mateja

And if you visit, remember: it’s the South Pole.

“Does this mean that you are going somewhere too?” No, bestia, I’ll stay right here and we will look at the Moon together.

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