Daytime, meandering through the Peabody Essex Museum. I stopped to stand and look at a painting on the wall. The looking turned to gazing. Time shifted and everything disappeared. I was under the stars, the shifting clouds. Felt night’s cool air upon my face. Marveled at the moon’s path upon glistening sea. This magical night enveloped me. There was no one else. Nowhere else. Until a tap upon my shoulder made me turn my head.
luminous moon
reflects beauty in darkened sea
neath star spattered sky
Double posting today! (see also Wishful Thinking) Written for dVerse haibun Monday where Toni, the maven of haibuns, asks us to write about the night sky. A haibun consists of a short, concise paragraph of prose that cannot be fiction, followed by a haiku. PHOTO taken at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA: Moonlight, created in 1892, oil on canvas. Painted by impressionist Childe Hassam (1859 – 1935). The scene is from Appledore Island, the largest of the Isles of Shoals off the coast of New Hampshire, where he spent many a summer at the cottage of Celia Thaxter.
lillian the home poet 
Oh! What a lovely take on the prompt. A painting of the ocean reflecting back the moon and stars. I truly love this! And the background on the painting just adds to it. The haiku at the end is perfection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Your reply always means the most on Haibun Mondays — even though it’s Tuesday. Sorry for the late post and readings.
LikeLike
You are right on time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Truly Beautiful visually and lyrically 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Morgan!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love museums. Thank you for giving me a guided tour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah….I’ve always wanted to be a docent! 🙂
LikeLike
I do love what you can get from a painting… I always browse the virtual museums for images to inspire.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This one just literally took me in! 🙂
LikeLike
Such a peaceful write and painting. I saw your comment about wanting to be a docent–I was, and it was the most wonderful experience. NV Museum of Art is the only accredited art museum in NV and we had such good educational opportunities in preparing for exhibits. It required 20 tours a year and I had to resign since most of the children’s tours were when I was in Palm Desert. No doubt you would have the same issue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I would. We dreamed of being docents upon rejuvenatement (retirement — a word I refuse to recognize)….but we find ourselves busy with life and love 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s lovely. You really capture the feel of the painting so beautifully. You might be interested to know that Appledore is a lovely fishing village about 8 miles away. They have the best coffee shop in the UK. I Wonder how the name made it over the Atlantic?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that is an interesting thing to note! I wonder indeed??? I do love the name!
LikeLike
Oh, man, do I ever love that “spattered sky.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Smiling I am! 🙂
LikeLike
So very beautiful. Gorgeous!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sherry!
LikeLike
I like this part best:
“There was no one else. Nowhere else. Until a tap upon my shoulder made me turn my head.
luminous moon
reflects beauty in darkened sea”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Joon. So glad you enjoyed!
LikeLike
This is beautiful; great art of any kind is like that, inspiring and transforming/transporting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I so agree…..and this painting just took me in 🙂
LikeLike
Indeed a lovely magical and star splattered night!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The painting was amazing! Photo really doesn’t do it justice.
LikeLike
“There was no one else. Nowhere else.” such striking lines, describing deep meditation….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! It was truly like I was trasported into the painting! 🙂
LikeLike
A beautiful scene in words paired with an enchanting painting…mesmerizing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lynn!
LikeLike
It is a great thing when a painting can pull us in, and like the real starry night, this had that draw for you and inspiration inside of it. Very nice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The photo really doesn’t do the painting justice. It is a wonderful painting! 🙂 Glad to share it with folks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you shared.
LikeLiked by 1 person
your words are like colors that effectively paints a beautiful night sky. love this, Lillian. ❤
LikeLike