the eternal dance

What if
a long time ago
the Sun was dark
and still
and beautiful in his solitude

What if
a long time ago
the whole world was dark
and cold
and dreaming of a brilliant light

What if
in that dreaming
a soft curve brushed against
the belly of heaven
and the dark Sun felt the first tremor

What if
the Moon came into her body
so slowly, sensuously, compassionately
that the whole world fell in love
with her

What if
without understanding Why or How
the Sun began to move
towards this holy beautiful one
into the story he was born to carry

What if
the center of his chest
began to ache
and burn
the closer he moved toward her

What if
when he looked into
her soft doe-brown eyes
the heart of the sun cracked open
and the world first knew light

What if
the radiant majestic Sun
built a palace for his lover
in the center of heaven
and asked her to stay

What if
she did, for awhile
until the world grew hot
and dry
from the intensity of his love

What if
the world dreamed again
and the Moon
without understanding Why or How
began to move

What if
the beautiful burning Sun
was heartbroken
and tried to return to his
cold, still, darkness

What if
he couldn’t
for the whole world had dreamed
his story and was not yet finished
with him

What if
the Sun followed his longing
through the sky
steadily pursuing his love yet
never quite reaching her

What if
this eternal dance of enormous love
and grief
the world dreaming her cycles of night
and day, winter and summer, life
and death