Two moons shining o’er the planet
Gentle collision
Two bodies come together in a kiss
Ages ago it was meant to be
Ages ago, slowly drawn together in space
In a time unknown
Or was it a moon spun off from a newborn planet
Like a child flying from a merry-go-round?
Each theory has its flaw
To explain the attraction and distraction
Of two bodies come together
And come apart
It turns out that planet formation is sloppy
and creative
and wildly varied
like love and life
The moon is nothing like the Earth,
except that it is also exactly like the Earth
I’m nothing like you except when we are the same
Earth was born moonless then Theia interceded
and gave birth to Selene
Then along came Endymion with beauty unsurpassed
To merge and join as one after the falling of the sun.
Bodies don’t collide in a gargantuan impact,
It’s more like a cosmic landslide.
Or an irresistible joining.
The moon’s double identity gets swept aside entirely
How can two be one?
Finally realizing how little you had to do
Before you get to the limits of knowledge.
Inspired by:
http://nautil.us/issue/13/symmetry/when-the-earth-had-two-moons
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> 10/13/14