maundy thursday: night-ruler

"and god made . . . the lesser light to rule the night." (gen. 1:16)

this moon,
this full, nisan moon,
is full as no other moon can be.

it is brimfull,
as cana's stone jars.

this full moon,
"the fourteenth day of the first month,
at even,
is the lord's passover."

by this moon's light
the angel of death saw the blood
on the door posts
and the mothers of egypt saw the death masks
on their first-borns.

this moon lighted the way for judas,
and it was night.

this moon, rising, watched joseph of arimathea
entomb the messiah,
sealing the entrance with moon-round stone.
this moon, setting, watched the myrh-bearing women
hurry to the tomb,
finding the stole rolled away.

is, i wonder,
is this full moon willful?
has, i wonder,
has this moon chosen such sights?

i think not.
rather i think this full moon,
night-ruler though she be,
groaneth with all creation
to see the redemption of all.

how often, i wonder, does this same full moon
whose cold light fell on james, and john,
and peter, sleeping,
how often lightens me,
sleeping despite the groans around me?