We seem to have lost
our connection
with the seasons
and phases of the moon.

Sure,
we notice a blizzard
that hampers our commute
or a heat wave
that drives us to the shore,
but the equinox?
the solstice?

And maybe,
if it makes the headlines,
we’ll read about
a particular full moon,
but not the one that comes
every month.

This full moon
is the worm moon
because
as the ground thaws
the earthworms
re-emerge
except here in New England
when the ground is still covered
with snow.

Here, it is the sap moon
when cold nights
and warm days
draw the sugar filled sap
from the roots of maples
and some get tapped
and the sap is boiled
to become syrup.

The Celtic people call it
the moon of winds
and so it’s been
here
as the wind rattles
the windows
and winds around
the swaying trees.

The Choctaw called it
the moon of the big famine
as the supplies that sustained them
through the long winter months
dwindle
before the new crops arrive
but we can just run down
to the grocery store
as long as the wind
hasn’t taken down
too many trees.