Esther Byrne
Sorrow
The moon was sad. She had long been hidden away, dancing among the stars, ministering to the exquisite rhythms of life on earth. She bathed the world in her glorious glow and weaved together delicate fragments with her intricate artistry.
She had long been proud of her place in the sky, which had turned; ever so slowly, from commitment to celebration.
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Yet now, something had changed. Her light had dimmed and she felt heavy with grief. She no longer felt innumerable joys when gazing upon the world in all its fullness. There was a screaming and an anger in the atmosphere, and the moon was weary of battle.
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She stretched out her finger and pointed, pointed at the planet and its wasteful indifference that was breaking her fragile heart.
She knew she could no longer look down in love at this powerful mess. She had to escape before her light was extinguished and her reason was shattered.
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So, in all of her great wisdom and sorrow, she departed from the sky and floated down, down into the murky depths, leaving a trail of dust and regret in her wake. The moon came to the isolated rock and lay down her head, determined to retire from this life and its grasping, grieving ingratitude. She retreated inwards, there to pass her regal isolation away from the destruction and damage.
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The world mourned her presence, feeling a slight shiver of finality upon the air… yet willingly walked on into the clutches of enticing darkness.
Esther Byrne is a writer from Yorkshire, UK. She has had short stories and poetry published in several magazines. In 2021, she was highly commended for the Val Wood Yorkshire prize. She lives with chronic illness and is passionate about encouraging people with disabilities to express themselves creatively. You can see more of her work at estherbyrne.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @estherbyrnecom.