The Moon
Everyone wants to be the sun
Big, bold, and bright enough to burn anyone who dares to soak in itsit's presence.
But me?
I choose to be the moon
A soft gentle reminder that even in the darkest times
There is still light
There is still hope
Always present even when unseen
Powerful enough to change the tides
Yet meek enough to allow itself
be viewed in all it's glory without hurting the eyes of it's onlookers
For before there was light, there was darkness
And once darkness creeps back into existence
The moon will be there to keep it contained until morning
And no matter how difficult a day full of sunlight gets
It is known that the moon is on it's way to serve as a guide back to light
I choose to be the moon
Coming in peacefully and quietly after being introduced by the setting of the sun
The sun serving as the opening act to my awe
Cooling the sands and waking up a portion of the world that has not been invited to the sun's festival of fire
You are safe here
I will not allow darkness to intimidate you
I will be the illumination you need to make it through the night
And I will stay during the day
Though outshined
Making note of who may need me most once the time comes for me to assert my control and make my existence known
Everyone wants to be the sun
Big, bold, and bright enough to burn anyone who dares to soak in itsit's presence.
But me?
I choose to be the moon
Author:
Jillian Hanesworth
Jillian Hanesworth was born and raised on the East side of Buffalo, NY. She began writing at the age of 7, when she would write songs for her mother to sing in church. She later took a break from writing to successfully pursue educational goals, and worked to obtain a BA in criminal justice and law focusing on reform.
Currently, Jillian is the Director of Leadership Development at Open Buffalo - a non profit organization focusing on racial, economic, and ecological justice, and a teaching artist with the Dunbar Project at Ujima Theater. She is the recipient of the 2020 Alt-imate Activist award presented by the WNY Peace Center, as well as a 2021 Buffalo Business First 30 under 30 awardee. Jillian is also the first ever Poet Laureate in the history of Buffalo after she spent 2 years advocating for the existence of the role. Jillian loves and lives for the community and exemplifies that in all that she does.