Wolf moon howls in hunger
his ravenous tongue laps the field
to a glistening cloak of diamonds
under the shining of his glare
As he hunts his way over the woods
the snowy owl suspends her pursuit,
knowing rodents cease their shuffle,
the steam of his humid breath
mists over the ice rimed lake
From his withers spill
the hair of black branches
that line the ridge to the west,
his yearning stalks the hours
where he settles outside my window
Incisors smooth as an axe handle
teeth sharp as blades
a slice of menace works its way
across my down filled covers
I rise to meet his famished stare
palms pressed to the cold pane
a warm offering
Jan. 3, 2018
Sky watchers got a real treat Thursday night as the wolf moon filled the night sky.
The name is attributed to Native Americans noticing that wolves would howl during the winter months, when food was scarce, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
But that interpretation is most likely incorrect, Gordon Johnston, a retired NASA program manager. "From what I have learned about traditional names given to full Moons prior to the introduction of modern timekeeping, local leaders would usually decide on the name of the Moon based on conditions at the time. Full Moon names were used to describe and remember what happened in the past and to remind of what was likely to come in the near future."
According to Indian Country Today, the closest name to "wolf moon" is actually the Sioux name, the "wolves run together" moon. Other names for the wolf moon include the Algonquin's label squochee kesos, or "sun has not strength to thaw," the Hopi's moniker "moon of life at its height" and the Muscogee's name "winter's younger brother," per the Western Washington University Planetarium website, which has a list of full moon names for 29 tribes.