I belong to two different poetry prompt groups that I enjoy no end. Why should I get all the fun?? A friend of mine used this photo as a prompt and wrote a great poem, so I’m sharing the photo with you, and asking you to use this photo and write something. Anything. A line. A poem. A story. Shuckin’s, a novel if you want. Just write something! It doesn’t need to be ‘good’ and it doesn’t need to be shared unless you want to share.
My friend Bill Ransom, says there are three kinds of writing—private, shared with a few, and public. And Marvin Bell said to give yourself permission to write a bad poem (or whatever). So, write something, inspired by this photo, and it doesn’t even have to be about a moon, who knows what idea this hollowed out moon, filled with clouds, will spark for you.
The photo is copyrighted, but I have the permission from the photographer to use it.–“Hello, Lenora. Sure, no problem. Thank you for your kind words. // Cheers, // Debra“
What I think happened to the moon is the mice got hungry and ate it, it is made out of cheese you know. They hollowed it out, allowing clouds to move in. And Venus was too far away to help. Or maybe too smart to get close enough to help. Those mice are sneaky little devils. And it wouldn’t surprise me if they would thrive in Venus’s atmosphere!
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260620.html
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2026 June 20
Daytime Moon Meets Evening Star
Image Credit & Copyright: Debra Ceravolo
Explanation: Venus is now appearing on the celestial stage as Earth’s brilliant evening star, performing with the Moon, other wandering planets, and bright stars in western skies. For evening sky gazers on June 17, the celestial beacon rose after sunset close by a young, slender, crescent Moon. But from some locations the Moon could be seen to occult or pass in front of Venus. And from a backyard observatory in southern British Columbia, Canada, the lunar occultation was played out in daylight. This stunning telescopic snapshot captured a scene in dramatically cloudy skies, following Venus’ hour long disappearance, as the evening star emerged beyond the bright lunar limb.
And, yes, after I wrote this, I wrote my poem. And, yes, I’ll let you read it, but it will cost you. I want to see what YOU wrote, the sentence, the paragraph, the poem, whatever you wrote. Email it to me, and I’ll share. lenora.good@icloud.com.
Auntie Lenora Promises Not to Sing
Our country’s 250th birthday is Saturday, and because Auntie Lenora loves her country, she won’t sing, though her rendition of Happy Birthday might be better than a certain country singer’s rendition of The Star Spangled Banner the other night at another birthday bash. Auntie used to have a friend who paid her not to sing Happy Birthday to him. She’s that good at being awful!
In the meanwhile, have a great celebration. If you’re going to fire off those explody things, please remember pets, vets, and fires. If you have a large body of water near you, take them to the shore and fire over the water. If you don’t, see if you can find a large area ground covered by concrete with no trees nearby. Whatever, just be responsible and safe. Auntie Lenora loves you, appreciates you, and doesn’t want to see any of you harmed by those bangy, explody things.
Auntie Lenora is, per her wont, staying in. The great and ferocious Chihuahua, Sammy Brave Dog, has promised to keep her safe, and she has a bottle of W. H. McBrayer Kentucky bourbon she is going to open and try. Her grandfather, Carl Henry “Skipper” McBrayer was the genealogist of the family for years, and a cousin, Bill, re-built the family distillery on a small scale. Old Auntie is looking forward to some good sippin’ whiskey. If you’re interested in reading a bit about it, check out McBrayer Legacy Spirits. And like the bangy, explody things, if you drink, be responsible!
Sammy as his ferocious winter were/wolf ready to defend me against noisy things.
“Life is to be lived, not controlled,
and humanity is won by continuing
to play in face of certain defeat.”
~ Ralph Ellison