Book of Poems

Catching Moonlight

By: Me

Catching Moonlight

The little girl who plays on the riverbed at night always tries to reach as high as she can and catch the moonlight with her hands.
She's tried to get her own piece of moonlight since she was two. Her parents never told her it was impossible, that it was a silly dream and that she should forget it.
Instead, they encouraged her. They said to go after that dream and never let it escape.
So every night, she'd sneak down to the riverbed and try to catch moonlight with her hands.
One night, the girl had an idea. What if she caught moonlight with a jar?
That night, she crept to the riverbed, her arms wrapped around the glass jar.
When she got to her favorite spot, a big, flat rock, worn away by time, she climbed on top of it and reached out the glass jar.
She even stood on her tip toes, just to get as high as possible.
But when she went to step closer to the edge, she fell, and the glass jar went with her.
The only thing she remembers is watching the ground get closer and then falling asleep.
When she awoke, the little girl was no longer on the ground, but above it. She looked around and laughed.
She could dance in the stars.
She could run as far as she pleased.
She could jump as high as she wanted to.
She could finally catch moonlight with her hands.
And so she did.
The little girl spun until she found the moon and ran towards it, cupping her hands to try and catch a moonbeam.
And oh did she catch a moonbeam. She caught one, then two, then three, until she caught every moonbeam possible.
The little girl looked at her hands and watched the light dance in her palms.
She was overjoyed at finally fulfilling her wish, she spun once more, sending all her moonbeams scattering.
The girl gasped, she had never seen the light like this, scattered everywhere she looked was beautiful moonlight.
She sighed, looking with admiration at her work.
And the little girl who played on the riverbed at night finally caught moonlight with her hands.