Interpretations of a Full Moon - by Margarida Brei

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https://Voice.club - The professor announced, “Your assignment is to creatively capture a full moon. Bring your supplies to The Cliff at 7:00 pm.”

I suspected the professor believed he was a new vogue, ultra-modern instructor by allowing his students so much freedom on how to present work. Poetry, painting, essay, and story were all possibilities. Or he was lazy and disillusioned with teaching. Or perhaps…but I wanted to avoid being overly cynical.

Easels, canvases, paints, notebooks, broken jewellery, beads, and dictionaries were jostled up the hill.

Questions filtered through the night air: “Should I paint the full moon as an abstract female? Could I write an immortal ode? Why can’t I think beyond a predictable horror story about a full moon and werewolf? Perhaps a collage of foil, silver buttons, and grey Lycra illustrating a glinting full moon? Would a film montage capture its essence?”

One male, intent on impressing the females, quoted the opening lines of “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes. “The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees; The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas…”

His voice echoing off the cliffs created dark drama. The poem unsettled me as though it foreshadowed something strange.

Through gloomy silhouettes of foreboding trees, a sliver of moon peeped out shyly. I waited for the clouds to part like stage curtains to show raw beauty. At The Cliff, a Gothic mist rose from the sea to meet thick, oppressive clouds, which slowly parted for a paranormal moon. I held my breath as a silvery silence flooded over us. Hopefully, it would saturate us with inspiration.

While I recalled the astrological and symbolic meanings of a full moon as a time of finalisation, high emotions, and release from negativity, I breathed out. I longed to expel negative thoughts, terrible ways, and tension.

A high-pitched scream knifed through the silence. A female student hurled at the professor, “You… You…You..” Her words tripped over one another angrily. “You presented my artwork assignment as your own. You cheat!”

How had I forgotten that the full moon revealed truths?

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I love this story, Margarida. Somehow you’ve managed to describe many aspects of full moons, some rather unexpected. I especially enjoyed your quotation from “The Highway Man”.

When we were teenagers my sister and I could quote the entire poem - it was one of our favorites!

I always enjoy your writing :slight_smile:

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If anyone is interested there are many excellent British readings of “The Highwayman” on YouTube. Apologies, but I am not able to leave a link here. Astonishingly, Alfred Noyes wrote this masterpiece in 1904 when he was only 24 and in a mere two days. He was said to be inspired by a stormy wind rattling through pines on the edge of desolate Bagshot Heath in Surrey, England.

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Julie, I really appreciate your kind comments and detailed responses. I was like yourself, also surprised by the many associations, symbolism and astrological meanings of a full moon. The full moon brought clarity, enlightenment and release from negative energy.

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Wow! So many references and interpretations! You touched so many possible angles that it’s absolutely startling. The finale was an incredible surprise: the moon illuminating a cheat and a liar is the absolute cherry on the cake!

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A million thanks for your warm detailed feedback, Greene. I too was startled by the many spiritual and symbolic interpretations of the full moon. It was an infinite list! So happy that you enjoyed the finale. I’m glad that my writing finally shifted from dark depressing themes.

Really hoping to read one of your fabulous imaginative stories on the prompt soon!

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Margarida, I am in agreement with the professor; allowing his students to be present and exhibit their interpretations of the full moon. I enjoyed all the references of spooky and magical showings too! The ending was a gotcha moment and nothing better than an unexpected twist!!!

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Deborah, I am very grateful for your kind compliments. There was a play on the word “interpretations” in that the students could present different work whether it was written, drawn, painted or another medium on the full moon. Secondly, my fast fiction underlines various meanings of a full moon and encompasses the spiritual, religious, symbolic, cultural and anything in between.

So grateful that you enjoyed the final revelation.

Really hoping to read your short fiction and listen to your clear and lovely audio on the full moon.