The Story of the Sun, the Moon and the Deep Blue Sea

by Joshua Silva

For my dear Julie,

who's light has reached me

from so very far away.

Long ago when the Earth was but a child and wrapped in her royal cloak (which we call the ocean today), the light of her Father, the Sun, reflected from her seas a radiant blue beauty throughout the entire Universe. In the vastness of space there was no other like her and as her light pierced the darkness, one by one the Stars of the night began to shine brighter in celebration of her beauty. On the surface of her deep waters she captured each point of brilliance and she knew, by their light, that she was loved. This pleased her father, who shone brighter than any other on her, but while she knew she was loved, it was not enough. Something was missing.

As the years passed, she began to grow lonely. Her seas grew darker and darker and soon even the light of her father, the Sun, was losing its brilliance in her reflection. She would gaze at all the stars in the heavens and wonder which, if any, would ever come close to her. They had always remained so far out of reach. Sun grew worried for his daughter.

“My child, why have you grown so dark and sad? Do you not see that Universe rejoices in your being?”

“Father,” she replied, “I see that the Stars shine so brightly for me. And I see that you shine brighter than them all! But father, why do they not draw near to me? I am lonely. Do they not see the sorrow I keep deep in my waters, or is it only the beauty they see on my surface?”

“My daughter, my beautiful child, it makes my heart so heavy to know you are sad. I see it in your waters and I hear it in your cry, but you must know that you are unique in every way. While you always move near me, we Stars cannot move at all. It was my destiny to create you so that we all may celebrate you. In this way the Universe is made perfect.”

“How can such sorrow be perfect,” and as she fell silent, her waters grew darker still.

Unknown to Earth, or even to the Sun himself, there was one who had been silently moving toward her ever since the very moment he saw the first glimmer of her beauty. He was as unique and special as her in every way, but they were not the same. Where she reflected the brilliance of the Sun and the Stars, he did not shine at all. In fact, because he did not shine nor glimmer, the Universe, the Sun and the Stars, were completely unaware that he existed at all. And were it not for the pain of his loneliness, he may have very well forgotten he existed too.

In the time before Earth and her majestic ocean's beauty, he lived alone at the far edge of the Universe. Never did he know the comfort of another, never did the light of Stars warm his surface. He simply lived and moved about in the darkest places where no light could reach. It was this way for many thousands and thousands of years until she was born. He did not see the Stars as they began to shine even brighter, he did not see the Sun burning proud for his daughter. The only thing he saw was her blue sapphire glimmer cutting through the deep deep darkness that was his home. Though he had not realized then, in one moment she had changed all that he had ever known.

At once he began to race throughout the Universe toward her, drawn by some unknown force, compelled by her light that had touched him. He had no idea that the Universe was so vast, and so wide. Many years passed and he felt as if he had come no closer to her. And while he began to see, and come close, to many other beautiful stars, he would not stop for them. For there was nothing which could compare to the warmth he felt by her, even while she was still so very far away. Still determined, he silently pushed on until the day finally came that he found her, and for the first time in those many many years of traveling the Universe and seeing so many of its wonders, he stopped and was still.

She was not a star at all. She was something else, something different, much like himself. He became so nervous in her presence that he remained perfectly still in her shadow, still unnoticed. At once he became aware of himself. He worried about the scars he bore from his years of searching. His surface was no longer smooth, but marked with craters and canyons which cut into him so deeply. Fear gripped him as he gazed upon her. He began to feel ugly in the shadow of her beauty and so he began to turn away. And as he did, something magnificent happened, she called out to him.

“Who is there,” she asked, “is someone there? I see your silhouette against the light of the Stars. Why do you hide from me?”

“I-I...you are so beautiful,” he whispered to her. “I dare not reveal myself, something so ugly, to something as beautiful as you. I am neither a Star, nor am I embraced by the beautiful sea, the Universe does not recognize me. I am but a stranger to this place.”

“Do not be afraid. You are neither a Star nor a child of my Father. Who are you and where have you come from that you have freedom to move and draw near to me?”

“I do not know who I am. I have come from the deepest and darkest edge of the Universe where light does not reach. Where no light has ever reached until yours reached me.”

“My father has never mentioned beings such as you. How is it, that He who shines brighter than all others did not know of you?”

“I do not know. I only saw you.”

“And why have you come all this way? To gaze upon my beauty like the Stars above who shine for me?”

“No. I have not come to gaze, but rather to be near you...the only light I have ever known. But I see now that you are indeed the most beautiful in all of the Universe and I am scarred, beaten, and worn from my journey. I will return to my darkness so that you would not have to look upon me and be frightened.”

“All my life I have prayed for another, my dear traveler. All my life I have been so lonely. The Stars shine for me and my Father keeps me warm, but they do not draw near to me. They cannot. But you have drawn near to me. You have been scarred, beaten and worn down only to be close to me. Please, stay with me for a while.”

And so he agreed to stay, though he remained always in her shadow. Time passed and the two grew closer and closer with each moment. Her sea became brighter and brighter and loneliness abandoned them both. The Sun saw this one day and he was pleased.

“My child, I see you are now more beautiful than ever! Tell me the joy of your heart.”

“Father! The Universe heard my prayers and sent to me someone who can draw near to me and comfort me when I am lonely!”

Sun was surprised and nearly worried, if not for the excitement and joy he saw in his beautiful daughter. “Who is this you speak of? Who in the Universe can move so freely?”

The stranger replied nervously from behind Earth, “It is I. It is I who have come from the edge of the Universe where no light can shine. It is I who traveled many many years to draw near to your daughter, the one who's light touched me first.”

When Sun heard the stranger's voice he was humbled. There was nothing that Sun did not see in the Universe, for he had always shined brighter than any other thing. Until that moment, he believed there was nothing unrevealed or unknown to him. “How can this be? Come out from behind my daughter. Let me look upon you. Let me see what manner of being you are.”

“I will do as you ask, Sun. But know that I am not a pleasant thing to look upon. I am pale from all the years of darkness and scarred from the many hardships I have encountered on my journey here.” And so the stranger did as he was asked. For the first time in all of his life he was revealed and seen for what he truly was. He was indeed pale, beaten, scarred, worn, tired and even small. In fact, smaller than any other thing in the known Universe, but in that moment the Earth was gazing upon him too.

“You are beautiful,” she cried out. “Look upon my surface! See how magnificent you truly are! You are not a Star, but see how you shine on my waters!”

And it was true. As he looked down, he saw for the first time his own reflection and it was not hideous at all. In fact, all he thought that was ugly and hideous had all but vanished in the light of the Sun and made even more perfect in the reflections of her deep seas.

“I will call you Moon,” said Sun. “And, for the love of my daughter, I will shine upon you the rest of your days. It is plain to see that you, Moon, make her happier than any other thing in the Universe.”

Moon then declared, “It was Love that drew me out of the darkest places of the Universe. It was Love that allowed me to endure many years of hardship as I sought Earth out. May it be Love that holds us together for the rest of our days.”

So it came to be that Moon and Earth never parted. When Father Sun slumbered, Moon shone down brighter than any Star in the night sky. And every night Earth would gaze up at her Love and calm her waters so when Moon looked backed down on her he would always see and rejoice that it was her Love that made him majestic. It was her Love that made him beautiful. And it was their love for each other that made the Universe...perfect.

THE END