Eclipsed
The sun rises brightly on us
planning a day of fiercely shining,
high heat and top temperatures,
enveloping us in its energy
and sapping ours.
But does sun know
that before the day is done
something will come between us?
The moon,
that usurper,
that interloper,
will block sun's light
placing itself
in-between
despite sun being 400 times bigger
it's 400 times further away
so this cosmic coincidence
means they seem the same size
and moon can concisely cover
the full circle of the sun
as that leaves quite a big gap
between us
for little moon to slide into
obscuring the face of sun
plunging us into penumbra
for a moment
sun will be
eclipsed.
planning a day of fiercely shining,
high heat and top temperatures,
enveloping us in its energy
and sapping ours.
But does sun know
that before the day is done
something will come between us?
The moon,
that usurper,
that interloper,
will block sun's light
placing itself
in-between
despite sun being 400 times bigger
it's 400 times further away
so this cosmic coincidence
means they seem the same size
and moon can concisely cover
the full circle of the sun
as that leaves quite a big gap
between us
for little moon to slide into
obscuring the face of sun
plunging us into penumbra
for a moment
sun will be
eclipsed.
This poem is copyright (©) Alison Manning 2026
About the Writer
Alison Manning
Alison had a poem commissioned for Show Windows. Her poetry films have featured in film festivals, exhibitions and radio. She has published a children’s book, World Without Endless Sheep, and poems in anthologies and online sites. She was shortlisted for Coventry Poet Laureate in 2023 and 2025. She was Resident Poet for Springboard Festival 2025. In her spare time, she tries to grow lemons.
