The moon is rising in slow shifting shadows
her soft shrouds floating ghostly on high
slowly drifting in the darkening
standing here below, I feel her loneliness
I ache for her, that she cannot feel her Yūgen
her quiet beauty and her subtle grace
she does not know that she outshines the stars
and is unaware of the light she shares
she has no memories to recall
and in the light, her absence
weighs heavily upon me
I wonder where she lays her head
when her dark vigil comes to an end
and in the deep depths of my soul
I know she is keeping her mysteries close
perhaps one lonely night she might see me
just a dot on a map, watching the world go by
© Ann Bagnall
Yūgen (幽玄) is a profound concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics that refers to an awareness of the universe too deep and mysterious for words. It describes a subtle, hidden beauty that is sensed rather than directly seen, and often evokes an emotional response combining profound grace with a touch of gentle sadness.
Annie's Poetry 