D.S. Martin is a Canadian poet with two collections to his credit: Poiema, published by Wipf & Stock (Eugene, Oregon) in 2008 (which received an Award from The Word Guild in 2009), and his chapbook, So The Moon Would Not Be Swallowed, published by Rubicon Press (Edmonton) in 2007. His poetry has appeared in many journals in both Canada and the US, such as Canadian Literature, Christian Century, Dalhousie Review and Queen's Quarterly. His chapbook is about his grandparents who were missionaries to China from 1923 to 1951. He writes about poetry for publications such as Arc, Books & Culture, The Cresset, and Image, and is the Music Critic for Christian Week. He lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife and two teenage sons.

So The Moon Would Not Be Swallowed                                                  Poiema                  

Poem: LUNAR ECLIPSE (June 1928)

Yencheng, Honan, China

On Sunday evening as darkness crept in
the people rushed out
with gongs
-----& pots
----------& anything to make noise
to scare the heavenly dog
that slowly
-----very slowly
----------ever so slowly
had placed its jaws about the moon

They persisted in their din --it was said
so the moon would not be swallowed
& leave them in the dark --forever

(This poem first appeared in Windsor Review)