Journey to the Moon

The moonlight scattered into glittering fragments over the undulating waves…lunar pearls from outer space. The stars above etched into heaven’s black mantle, and the crystals of shattered moonlight below…made for an enchanting sight…the heavens and the earth mirroring one another. This tableau was accompanied by the melody of waves, a soothing song imbued with the ocean’s essence. Standing beside the boat anchored to the docks, I breathed deeply…watching the waves lapping against the rocks, sending mists of water in the air.

With a sleeping bag under one arm, I looked over the distant horizon…at the moon. Glowing in full, casting its nocturnal luminescence over the ocean, the moon seemed hauntingly beautiful in the night sky. The moon…soul of the nocturnal realm. Forever bound to the earth, it had begun its descent…to shine over some other part of the world. Perhaps there were dreamers like me in those parts who needed to see the moon to experience that sublime tranquility. But tonight, I was here for something more…a once in a lifetime experience.

Before clambering into the boat and sailing off to the world of lunar dreams, my mind inadvertently walked down memory lane. I saw flashes…of the crippling monotony and dullness that had rotted my mind for so long. Of sharing my predicament with that wise lady dressed in stacks of shawls, her many pearls clattering and clinking whenever she moved. Finally, I saw the corked bottle with the magical serum…which the wise lady produced from her many shawls. That corked bottle was safely tucked in my pocket.

Taking another long, deep breath…I let that world of water and moonlight wash over me. I felt this reality embracing me as I felt the moonlight and the air’s moisture on my face. Caressing my skin…lovingly, I relished the wind ruffling my hair. As waves of tranquility washed over me…I got into the boat and set sail…for the moon…

My body and soul felt light…all the stress and worries of the world were left behind…the past and present were no more. I only felt the fleeting moments as time…became detached from my consciousness. All that mattered was the moon…wandering the night sky in all its glory. I saw a carpet of moonlight meandering in the water…as the smudgy reflection of the moon quivered in the sea. As my heart beat excitedly, I saw birds in the sky…their silhouettes painted on heaven’s starry canvas. Beating their wings majestically, they were also headed for the moon.

My boat zoomed through the waters, driven forward by electricity…but the magic would get me to the moon. All my life, I had spent evenings gazing at the lunar orb ever since childhood. Someone had told me that the moon was a giant rock that orbited the earth and did not glow like the sun. The moon merely reflected sunlight…and that is how we get moonlight. There was something sublime about this…the sun’s fiery essence cooled and made it soft and buttery…fire turned to snow…

Taking another deep breath, I took out the bottle and uncorked it…draining the liquid in one gulp. Immediately, warmth started spreading through my body…a balm most pleasing. I was utterly relaxed and calm…so much so that I closed my eyes and sat down. My consciousness started to swim as gravity let lose its hold on my body…it was like my soul was soaring…

Opening my eyes…I saw the moon…larger than ever before…its glow suffused…with magic…

I saw that my boat had sprouted wings…like the birds I had seen earlier…in the ordinary world. Was this a dream? It was all too vivid and palpable to be a dream…but it didn’t matter. This experience was too transcendent…so it had to be real. The moon drew closer as the wings of my boat flapped. Softly and gently, I approached the moon, bathed in milky moonlight. Soon, the moon was above me as the boat traveled parallel to its surface. I saw the craters of the poets…the ridges, and other rugged things, invisible from earth. My heart longed to be on the moon…as my arms inadvertently stretched upwards…

Standing on my feet…with my sleeping bag slung over my back, I jumped upwards and found myself gliding for the moon…I was free to move in the air…freed of gravity’s hold. Performing a somersault in the air, I landed on the moon with a soft thud.

Jumping around, I relished the sensation of lightness most beautiful. I explored the moon to my heart’s content until, finally, a yawn escaped me. Stretching my arms and legs, I found a comfortable spot to lay out my sleeping bag. Snuggling inside, I found myself embraced by sleep immediately…