A Children's Moon displayed today, upon a canvas bright and blue, not a cloud in the sky to see, the only thing on exhibit, you Mr. Moon. Showing yourself in the brightness of day, for children who would usually be asleep in their beds, when you appear at night.

Eyes wide, mouth round, look of surprise upon your oval face. Not a frown, as I would expect from you, being up so early. You appear almost translucent to me, both of us sharing together, watching your sister, Sun, as she escapes from our view.
Leaving you behind to follow her for another night.
Causing me to wonder why this look of surprise. What do you see down here on earth, that I cannot see?

Are you watching Mrs. Coyote marking the trail she travels, so that her suitor can find his way to her? If you are, she is just letting him know, that her cycle is near, she is almost ready to mate, for another year.
Her life long mate, Mr. Coyote. being attracted, searching her out, he knows too, her estrus is near.
Instinctively needing to find her, knowing they need to copulate, propagating a new generation together.
The keys to life being unlocked inside her womb, creating a new litter of coyote pups. Growing quickly, they will be ready to birth in about two months.
They will then start on their own new journey, maintaining the population, keeping the coyote family intact and strong. Replacing family members who have passed to another place in the universe.

They can join when grown, with their family and praise you with their nightly symphony of songs, as they did last night while out on my walk.
You were there as normal, against a darkened back drop, with an oval face, a look of amusement in your eyes.
You seemed to be gazing down on me and everything else here on earth, the brightest thing in the night sky.
Lighting my way along the snowy, shadowy path that I walked. Making my surroundings sparkle like millions of diamonds spread over the snow covered ground.

The crunchy sounds made with my every step, crisp and sharp, loud, blocking out most of the other sounds around me.
Stopping now and then to listen for the sounds of the night, the whoo - hoo - hoo of the Grey owl, always a welcome sound.
Sometime even hearing the screech of a rodent, as she catches a meal in her talons.
The sounds of the hares scratching feet, running across the hardened snow.

Allowing my ears to become my eyes, in the dim shadows of the night. The other sounds around letting me know, there are others working the night shift, busy performing their chores.

Hearing the sounds of a Coyote family choirs singing, piercing the cool night air, makes the hair on the back of my neck stand straight out, an eerie sound. I imagine them sitting upon the earth, necks stretched high, mouths open wide, yipping and howling out their score to you, Mr Moon.

I recognize these sounds and visions, I have heard and seen them many times before. They are music to my ears, images flashing through my mind. I know them all very well, they are friends of mine, there is nothing here for me to fear.

Finding a comfortable spot to sit and take in everything around me. Rolling through my mind, a news reel from another time, things I have been allowed to experience before, but never allowed to recognize this way.

Now I think I get it, as new thoughts enter my mind, I see things differently this time.

Mother Coyote giving birth to her litter of blind pups, deep in a den of her choosing.
A place that will keep her charges safe, when she need to venture away to find food for herself.

Never thinking before why they are born blind? Now the reason seems perfectly clear.

This place deep in the den where bonding begins, is without any influence from the outside world.
Occurring between mother and siblings', creating the strongest of family bonds.
Being allowed only to experience senses of hearing, touch and smell, pups growing together before being allowed to see.
Feeling full bellies, love and companionship, learning compassion and tolerance. Growing together, becoming a family, just Mother, Brothers, Sisters.

Eyes are opened for the very first time, at about age 10 days, a few days later being able to venture outside. Experiencing everything together and viewing all that life and nature has to offer them. Strong now, connected, a family unit, intertwined with each other and in tune with the universe.

I don't know if this is true, but it makes sense to me. I have never viewed it this way before, but I think this is how life should be. I think this is the way of the universe.

We are all connected at birth, we know what we know, our hearts and minds communicate clearly with no outside interference. We just know what we know.

We are all children of the universe, Mother Nature is our guardian.
She is the matriarch, always holding services for us in her cathedral.
Where all can attend, living, respecting and trying to understand all others as we grow.

Life, I feel, is much like the lunar cycle, starting new, growing through phases to maturity, full shining bright for a time, then the phases reverse and start to gradually fade. Eventually dying, passing out of sight, completing the cycle, over and over.

Is this how our life cycle runs, for us humans?

Do we too, when our peak is reached, shine bright?

Does our brightness gradually fade, eventually flickering and dying?

Do we, like the moon, fade from sight to continue our journey though the universe?

Beginning life, new again, growing to full brightness, like a Coyote Moon,

carrying on through the cycle of life over and over?

In the next cycle, being serenaded and looked up to, start to finish.

Are we, serenaded when we arrive and celebrated at the end again, never to live again?

Thinking to myself, I hope we are like the moon. When we are full, at our brightest like him, we too are a true, Coyote Moon!