My Lovely Moon Poem by Dr Ian Inkster

My Lovely Moon
Ian Inkster 2016

My Lovely Moon is my poem very simple, the basis for my song of indigenous Taiwan around the years 1860-1890, before the Japanese invade and colonise the island. but when already many Han Chinese as well as Westerners have invaded indigenous lands and mountainsides to the center and east. This poem is based on the moon-sun myths of the Tayal people of the northwest of Taiwan, who lived in isolation but in growing numbers from the 17th to the 19th centuries. From around the 1860s their lands were increasingly encroached upon by Chinese, Westerners, and then the Japanese from 1895 seeking raw materials for the 2nd stage of global industrialisation.

The poem speaks to the myths of the people, and attempts to capture a mood of a young man [the first and benign sun] whose girl [the moon] has found his light enough to shine by, but is now perhaps being diverted by the light of a new,2nd invading foreign sun - we may picture the latter as either another rival tribesman, the Han Chinese, or even western male threats. So this is a poem of the forest and of the threats to it.

As to the song which I also attach as a MP3 file here, I keep it very balladic and moody, bordering on the blues - I sing it in a very high voice [too high for me! ! ! ] to illustrate a very young man, the sun, singing to his moon girl, of his love. But in the background there is fear, of a new coming sun, that will light up too much, stealing or destoying his moon girl. But he is told by his girl that every thing is ok so far.

So I hope you may find it of basic interest or at least amusement! ! ! You will need to play it wearing earphones, as the recording is very poor! ! ! Also, its the song that matters, not the singer hahah. I accompany with a ukulele played in the style of a guitar or mandolin, this gives a simple naturalistic effect.

Ian Inkster 21 October 2016.