by

Hungry Moon

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pixabay compilation

In my fantasy world, the Hungry Moon ushers in the thaw. Days lengthen, trees blossom and nature knits an emerald coverlet over the wilderness. The blues and grays of winter surrender to a tapestry of fresh color, and the sun rolls around like an old friend. Yet, this is a hungry time, winter’s stores dwindling, the cellars and cupboards bare. The fields lie sodden and fallow, new crops a distant dream. The warming sun promises fiddleheads and dandelion greens, nettle and chickweed, wild pickings filling aprons for empty bellies. For the poor, it’s a thin, lean time, a cruel tease of the spring to come.

The Hungry Moon rises on March 23rd. Hang in there, spring will come.

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Excerpt from the Hungry Moon, Eye of Blind

The hut warm, Starling listened to the timbre of Gallard’s voice, his feelings carried through the air. She heard the news as a faint echo, translating facts and events into an emotional unfolding, layered with nuance, thick, rich, and threaded with light. She barely saw bodies anymore, or faces, or remembered names. They comprised the trappings of essence. How else could she think of it? They glittered as if fashioned of stars.

She’d always called herself a Death Droom, and here she’d found there was no death. Merging with the dragons had fundamentally changed her. She no longer saw the faces of light descending so beautifully and peacefully to accompany the dying. Rather, she witnessed the infinity of soul, the stardust, color, and light that transformed but never altered. Spiraling circles of life, generation upon generation of birth and death, and yet the spirit remained unbound. The essence existed outside of form, vibrating in the void. She slowly became the World’s sublime song, losing a sense of her body and drifting more in otherness, oneness. At times, she believed she could walk through trees, dissolve into water, fragment and fly away on beams of light.

105 thoughts on “Hungry Moon”

  1. Erik says:
    April 3, 2016 at 8:22 pm

    Once again, Diana, you’ve succeeded in creating a character and circumstance that is uniquely your own. And even when you write of bleakness, I sense your hope and joy somehow. There’s something very grounded about it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      April 3, 2016 at 8:38 pm

      Thank you, Erik. Starling is a favorite character who developed on her own in a way I didn’t expect. Yes, a bleak time of year despite the coming spring. That all changes with the next full moon. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Ali Isaac says:
    March 29, 2016 at 3:03 am

    Beautiful writing, Diana. 😍💕

    Liked by 2 people

  3. ~Michelle Cook says:
    March 26, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    I was trying to send you a comment on this yesterday, and right when I went to hit the post comment button, the power went out! Oh well… I just wanted to tell you how much I love this and my daughter does too. She was telling me how poetic your writing is and I agree with her. Have a Happy Easter!

    Liked by 2 people

  4. roughwighting says:
    March 25, 2016 at 2:58 am

    Your fantasy is fanstastical!

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Smorgasbord Easter Egg Hunt – Bloggers who are ‘Jolly good eggs’ | Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life says:
    March 25, 2016 at 2:06 am

    […] Yallowitz     Diana Wallace Peach       Nicholas […]

    Liked by 2 people

  6. Carol A. Hand says:
    March 24, 2016 at 7:18 am

    There is something deep, true, and sacred about the world you’ve created here, Diana. It makes me hopeful that so many have responded to your powerful work in such lovely, thoughtful ways.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 24, 2016 at 7:26 am

      Thanks so much, Carol, for the lovely comment. Sometimes fantasy can reflect and stretch the real world in a way it can be seen without our filters getting in the way. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 ❤

      Liked by 2 people

  7. patriciaruthsusan says:
    March 24, 2016 at 3:30 am

    This sounds like a lovely new character, Diana. We often forget about the natural foods people once ate and now regard some of them as weeds. In India, people eat more natural leaves and plants. You can buy them where you buy vegetables. Not as much frozen and canned food is eaten here. Good piece. 🙂 — Suzanne

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 24, 2016 at 7:10 am

      Thanks for reading, Suzanne. I used to forage a lot more than I do now, and I’d like to know more about local edibles. There are definitely benefits to avoiding the boxes and cans 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      • patriciaruthsusan says:
        March 24, 2016 at 8:45 am

        The thing to watch out for these days is if someone has sprayed the plant life. We stayed at a motel once where the caretaker told me not to let my son, two at the time, play on the lawn. It had been sprayed with some poison to kill weeds. I used to walk in a neighborhood near our home and come back itching. They must have had their lawns sprayed with something I was allergic to. — Suzanne

        Liked by 1 person

    • Erik says:
      April 3, 2016 at 8:06 pm

      My own grandmother, a child of the depression, used to make both soups with both acorns and dandelions (separately).

      Liked by 2 people

  8. reocochran says:
    March 24, 2016 at 3:26 am

    This was such a lovely and longing description of the full moon. I love the idea of March’s moon being “hungry” and it being quite existential, timeless and connecting spiritual and the real world, D. Simply delightful your woman’s perspective of the -moon. Starling is such a great character! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  9. joyindestructible says:
    March 23, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    Beautiful and reminds me of when I lived in CO on Fort Lewis Mesa at the foot of the La Plata Mountains. I loved to watch the white blanket of snow recede back up the mountain revealing a blanket of green. Of course, I also enjoyed the reverse in fall. In the desert, the hunger is less when there’s been enough snow. It’s the years when the white blanket is missing that hunger can extend far into the months ahead.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. L. T. Garvin, Author says:
    March 23, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    What a beautiful and visual scene. I can truly imagine the hopes for a new crop season to fill the food supply in the replenishing gift of Spring. I am usually overboard about this favorite season of mine, but I have mixed feelings about it this year. Wonderful post 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  11. joanneeddy says:
    March 23, 2016 at 10:43 am

    So lovely, Diana! While this is just a snippet, Starling is presented with such poetic images that your reader instantly want to know more of her and her world. Really charming…Thanks for sharing her. Jo

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Lynz Real Cooking says:
    March 23, 2016 at 5:21 am

    This is so beautiful, so much lovely imagery! gorgeous!

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Kate McClelland says:
    March 23, 2016 at 3:50 am

    Reblogged this on Kate McClelland and commented:
    ‘Gulp’ can I be a little envious of Starling please?

    Liked by 2 people

  14. adeleulnais says:
    March 23, 2016 at 12:04 am

    Thank you for sharing this. I found the writing beautiful and poetic a delight to read and the information about the Moon was interesting. I do like it when authors have information about the world they have created.

    Liked by 2 people

  15. Nitin says:
    March 22, 2016 at 10:42 pm

    Beautiful imagery you’d painted here. It was like I was seeing a dream. Your dream. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  16. stephie5741 says:
    March 22, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    Beautiful writing. Somewhat wistful and deep, but poetic, as well.

    Stephanie
    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com

    Liked by 3 people

  17. Nurse Kelly says:
    March 22, 2016 at 3:59 pm

    Truly beautiful writing, Diana. Can feel your joy in this! Happy spring! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Steven Baird says:
    March 22, 2016 at 2:46 pm

    Breathtaking, Diana. Beautiful writing.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. anotherfoodieblogger says:
    March 22, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    You write beautifully, Diana. I know Spring it out there somewhere as my crocuses have bloomed. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Sean P Carlin says:
    March 22, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Are you a fan of Romantic literature, Diana? The reason I ask is because even though I know you write fantasy, your work seems to have a lot of the characteristics of Romanticism — it’s pre-Industrial Age emphasis on emotion and nature. After I finish my current WIP, Escape from Rikers Island, I’ll be writing a Gothic/Romantic novel in the vein of Dracula.

    Hungry Moon goes on sale tomorrow, then?

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 22, 2016 at 1:03 pm

      Romanticism yes, romance no. Lol. As an ex-mental health counselor (grief counselor) emotion is only skin deep for me. I see it as the primary force in our lives – love and fear and everything in between. And yes, I’m a big fan of wise old Mother Earth.

      So, the books of which these “moons” are a part, are already published. They’re The Dragon Soul Trilogy which follows Myths of the Mirror (a stand alone). I received some feedback that the trilogy doesn’t read a well unless one has read Myths, so as I’m taking back the books from the publisher, I will tidy them up, get new covers and probably rebrand them as a 4-book series. That will happen in August. Decisions, decisions.

      I love how you’re going from Escape from Riker’s Island to a Gothic/Romantic novel. Experimenting is a hoot. This writing adventure is so much fun. I’m looking forward to your books 😀 Happy Writing.

      Liked by 2 people

      • Sean P Carlin says:
        March 22, 2016 at 1:31 pm

        I love that you’re taking back your material, retooling it, and rereleasing it! One of the (many) reasons I got out of screenwriting was that a content creator like myself doesn’t have ownership of — and little creative control over, if any — my own work.

        Escape from Rikers Island and the Gothic novel are linked thematically insofar as they are tales of the supernatural set in New York (my hometown), but EFRI is a contemporary urban horror story (like a Richard Price policier meets a Stephen King chiller), whereas the other book (for which I already have an exhaustive 45-page outline) is an eighteenth-century fairy tale (à la Coppola’s Dracula) that draws heavily on the folklore of the Hudson Valley; the latter devotes considerable real estate to the role nature plays as a guiding hand in everything, and is very much in the Romantic (not romance!) tradition. I spent so many years in Hollywood being advised against writing this or that (“it won’t sell”; “it’s outside your brand”; “they’re not making those kinds of movies now”; etc.), that I feel now, as an author, like I’m in college again — free to experiment with whatever story or idea or concept catches my fancy. The only difference now is I bring a level of skill and experience to my work that I didn’t have back then. Creatively and professionally, I’ve never been happier.

        Liked by 2 people

        • D. Wallace Peach says:
          March 22, 2016 at 1:36 pm

          Awesome, Sean. I really hated the lack of control, especially when there were errors or something needed to be updated and I could do NOTHING about it. So yay. I think when we love what we’re doing, our energy translates into the writing and we will find readers who feel it. I’m 9 books in and I’m still exploring. It’s a blast. 🙂

          Liked by 2 people

        • Erik says:
          April 3, 2016 at 8:12 pm

          I’m happy about the freedom both of you now have to be creative with your own creative IP.

          Liked by 2 people

      • Erik says:
        April 3, 2016 at 8:10 pm

        How wonderful to be able to have the freedom to make such decisions now! Hooray!

        Liked by 2 people

  21. Russell J. Fellows says:
    March 22, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Loved this. Your fantasy reads as a very rich and vivid world, and the snippets you’ve shared are amazing.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Robert Matthew Goldstein says:
    March 22, 2016 at 10:11 am

    This is beautiful…I love this line: “She slowly became the World’s sublime song, losing a sense of her body and drifting more in otherness, oneness.”

    Liked by 2 people

  23. babbitman says:
    March 22, 2016 at 9:25 am

    Love the naming of the Hungry Moon. As part of my vast amount of research, I was somewhat surprised to find that in early medieval times Spring was the season of famine; a poor Autumnal harvest could lead to starvation before the next edible crops appeared. As agricultural techniques and transport infrastructure improved over the following centuries it became less deadly, until we get to the current situation in the West where we expect all foodstuffs to be available all year round. I think a lot of kids fail to understand the idea of ‘seasonal vegetables’!

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 22, 2016 at 9:46 am

      We think of the end of winter as the time to breathe easy, but yes, in the old agrarian world, it wasn’t until the crops started growing that the table filled. I think starvation was a constant worry for many. It didn’t take much to push a family over the edge. I eat oranges all year round and oranges certainly don’t grow in Oregon. Thanks for the reading and commenting 🙂 I hope you have some sunshine today.

      Liked by 2 people

  24. Al Lane says:
    March 22, 2016 at 9:25 am

    Beautifully written, as always.

    Hungry moon rises.
    Ushers long days and blossom;
    The promise of spring

    🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  25. thelonelyauthorblog says:
    March 22, 2016 at 9:04 am

    What an awesome write. Your finale was breathtaking. Your post inspired me. Thank you for sharing this brilliance.

    Liked by 2 people

  26. Annika Perry says:
    March 22, 2016 at 8:14 am

    Diana, you’ve done it again, sheer beauty in your writing – the second paragraph particularly is sublime and has me in tears (particularly poignant just now).

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 22, 2016 at 8:22 am

      Thanks, Annika. It’s one of my favorite Starling scenes. Are you okay? Didn’t mean to bring you to tears. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

      • Annika Perry says:
        March 22, 2016 at 8:51 am

        You’re perceptive, Diana. ❤️ Recently we found out my husband’s father is terminally ill. Difficult times…

        Liked by 2 people

        • D. Wallace Peach says:
          March 22, 2016 at 9:12 am

          So sorry to hear that, Annika. It’s a profound experience for everyone. My thoughts are with you and your family. Sending lots of love your way. ❤

          Liked by 2 people

        • Erik says:
          April 3, 2016 at 8:18 pm

          Sorry to hear of this news, Annika. It’s easy to skim over a comment as just that; but we are all real people out hear living very real lives. My heart goes out to you, your husband and your father-in-law. I can see why Diana’s post and writing touched you. Yet they are a reminder to look for moments of hope and joy and “connectedness” even in the times that seem most bleak.

          Liked by 3 people

          • Annika Perry says:
            April 11, 2016 at 9:18 am

            Erik, many thanks for your warm words – they struck a real chord with me as I read them during my break away. The ‘connectedness’ definitely has a real and true power – a support, spiritually and emotionally. Not knowing much about blogging to start with, this side was unexpected but is the most positive and rewarding aspect of blogging I find. The trauma with my father-in-law continues as the hospital management, nurses and doctors each fight for their corner – as if things weren’t tough enough just getting the right help for him is proving difficult. Oh well…as with everything it will sort in due course…

            Liked by 2 people

  27. Bernadette says:
    March 22, 2016 at 7:16 am

    I really enjoy the imagery you have been using with the different moons. The character of Starling will be fascinating to learn more about.

    Liked by 2 people

    • D. Wallace Peach says:
      March 22, 2016 at 7:47 am

      She was a surprise for me, Bernadette. Her character changed in unexpected ways and this scene encapsulated it. Thanks for reading. Hope your day is full of warmth. 🙂

      Like

  28. nonsmokingladybug says:
    March 22, 2016 at 7:06 am

    What a beautiful post. Yes, spring is here and my yard is awake

    Liked by 2 people

  29. Julie Holmes, author says:
    March 22, 2016 at 6:08 am

    Wonderful excerpt, Diana! Thank you for sharing–and so timely with the beginning of spring!

    Liked by 2 people

  30. Richard Ankers says:
    March 22, 2016 at 5:04 am

    Reblogged this on Richard Ankers and commented:
    A beautifully written extract. Check it out.

    Liked by 2 people

  31. Richard Ankers says:
    March 22, 2016 at 5:03 am

    I thought that wonderful, Diana. I really did.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. vanbytheriver says:
    March 22, 2016 at 5:02 am

    Spring has arrived, even somewhat early for us here in the Northeast. Enjoyed your excerpt, Diana. Beautiful. ❤️

    Liked by 2 people

  33. Sabiscuit says:
    March 22, 2016 at 4:41 am

    What a beautiful excerpt. It was like walking in on a dream sequence in an untouchable other dimension. Loved it. I adore dragons. xo

    Liked by 2 people

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