Ode To The Moon

While going through some old genealogy files belonging to my Grandmother, Florence Foy, I found the draft of a poem written by Grandpa Leslie Foy. While not dated, it is penned on American Red Cross letterhead, and appears to have been written either while in Europe during World War I or while in the VA hospital.

Grandpa spent many long years suffering mentally and physically from the trials of war. Ode To The Moon talks of the dark shadows of the soul he wrestled through, the journey through darkness as he sought the light of celestial comfort. He kept his eyes turned to God during those hard times and depended on heavenly guidance through troubled waters. Grandpa had traveled dark waters more than once to and from his mission as well as to and from war-torn Europe. I imagine him with pen in hand as he wrote this poem. He remembered standing on the bow of the ship, watching the moon shine on the sea below and then the metaphor became clear as the stanzas began to flow. I imagine him now on the other side on calm waters under a harvest moon. He desires to give strength and comfort to those still in dark times trying to navigate our way.