The Lunar Metaphor of Ageing in Contemporary Poetry
British poet Miles Burrows presents a striking examination of societal attitudes towards ageing in his latest poem, Missing You, featured in his new collection Slow Puncture. The work transforms the moon into a powerful symbol of elderly neglect, beginning with the provocative question: "Did you know the moon was so old / It might have to go into a home?"
Born in Leicester in 1936, Burrows brings both medical experience and literary sophistication to his poetic practice. His career spans decades, beginning with his first collection published by Cape when he was approximately thirty years old. After working internationally and practising medicine, he returned to poetry with renewed vigour, celebrated by Carcanet's 2017 publication Waiting for the Nightingale.
Theatrical Satire Meets Social Commentary
Missing You creates what might be described as a family intervention directed at the moon itself, personified as an ageing relative displaying concerning behaviour. The poem develops as a dramatic scene where characters discuss the moon's apparent deterioration, noting how "It keeps edging nearer / The way old people do" - an observation that ironically contradicts astronomical reality, as the moon actually moves further from Earth each year.
The poem builds upon an earlier work from Burrows' 2021 Collected Poems, Take us the Little Foxes, titled Remonstrating with the Moon. The expanded version in Slow Puncture introduces additional characters and sharpens its focus on what the poet perceives as the savagery of western social attitudes towards ageing.
From Humour to Profound Darkness
Burrows masterfully employs his signature technique of building up and then dismantling jokes throughout the poem. The moon-person's alleged failings include the innocent lunar habit of "Peering into people's bedrooms" and the domestic mishap of storing "rice crispies in the fridge".
However, the tone gradually darkens as the poem progresses. The initial humour gives way to steadily hardening impatience and anger, perhaps representing society's diminishing tolerance for the ageing process. The poem's speakers become increasingly critical, listing physical and mental changes associated with advanced age:
- Forgetfulness and memory lapses
- Physical tremors and "skittering about"
- A voice "like a nervous cough"
- Eyes that "look like two catacombs"
The final stanzas deliver particularly powerful imagery, connecting the moon's eyes to both "furnished rooms" and "abandoned creeds", suggesting the profound isolation and philosophical abandonment experienced by many elderly people.
Cultural References and Historical Echoes
Burrows weaves diverse cultural references throughout the poem, from Goya's candle-adorned hat to Humphrey Davy's miner's lamp invention. The mention of Enceladus - a moon of Saturn where a day lasts longer than a year - provides astronomical context, while the sudden declaration that "Tonight, we have the Spanish Civil War" introduces historical gravity.
This reference to the Spanish Civil War resonates with the poem's concluding imagery of "abandoned creeds," suggesting the ephemeral nature of human beliefs and commitments in the face of mortality. The relatives conducting this poetic intervention are themselves moon-people facing the same inevitable decline.
Despite its moments of fury and gloom, Missing You ultimately showcases Burrows' rare satirical talent and capacity for self-mockery. The collection Slow Puncture serves as a happy reminder of his unique voice in contemporary British poetry, blending medical insight, literary craftsmanship, and social commentary in equal measure.
