The story behind the poem: The Moon Over My Mother’s House by Laurie Kuntz

The poem which opens the year 2021 for Moment Poetry is the shortest one we have published thus far. It is one of those rare poems which are able to say it all in a few elegant lines without forcing anything on the reader.

The mesmerizing image of the moon with its magnetic power and the sorrows and labors of everyday life that takes place below open up space for reflection. This short poem captures an entire life and invites us to think about our own. To be more humble and more grateful for what we have and take for granted. Even in these tough times. And that’s something we should remind ourselves of not only at the start of a new year…

The poem’s author, Laurie Kuntz, added the following:
“The Moon Over My Mother’s House is based on an early childhood memory. I must have been five or six, and I was in the kitchen watching my mother take clothes out of the washing machine and hanging them on the clothesline. The clothesline seemed to touch the sky, and I thought I saw God watching us. When I told my mother that I saw God, she replied that one can never see God. I thought her answer was so sad. This poem attempts to recognize the many women, who because of societal restrictions, live with no hope of seeing their inner god.”

The moon is up there, all you need to do is pause and look up.

Photo credits: Laurie Kuntz