In these summer months named
for Roman emperors—Julius
and his adopted son Augustus—
we find ourselves happily full
of two sets of 31 days,

and on this, the 31st day of
the eighth month, the moon
tonight rises super full, closer
to Earth, looking larger and
brighter, but not blue,

though this one is called that,
its perfect roundness appearing
twice in a calendar month.

On nights like these I stop
wherever I am to watch her
stately climb into the eastern sky,
though I know that we’re the ones
slowly rotating on the planet
below her magnificence,

remembering Augustus’s
famous last words:
Have I played the part well?
Then applaud as I exit.

And I do, every time—
putting my hands together
for our blesséd super moon,
a major player making her
grand entrance so brilliantly,

reflecting the light of our
nearest star and, before
making a graceful exit,
casting puddles of sweet
moonshine on earthly
beings like me.