
We were delighted to learn that Chiaroscuro – Darkness and Light, the dVerse Anthology published in 2017, is going to the moon. It is one of the poetry anthologies selected by Dr Samuel Peralta to be enclosed in time capsules and launched to the Moon, as a message-in-a-bottle to the future.
The anthology contains a selection of poems written by over 100 poets from all over the world and includes two written by me: Grandma Alice, a poem I wrote for my grandmother’s 100th birthday, and Frozen Footsteps, a haibun written after a walk in Glenmore Forest with our beloved late dogs, Eivor and Pearl.
My grandmother was fascinated by the moon landings and anything to do with space and time. She used to dismantle old clocks and watches to study their inner workings and create ornaments and paperweights with them floating at their centre.
I can imagine her smiling where she is now and it is making everyone who loved her so happy to know that a poem about her is going to the moon. In their own way, Eivor and Pearl will be delighted about this too.
The Anthology will be part of The Polaris Collection, Dr Peralta’s payload associated with an Astrobotic Griffin/NASA VIPER mission, landing in the vicinity of the Lunar South Pole in November 2024.
You can read more about this collection here and more information about the Lunar Codex here.

Warm-hearted thanks to Dr Samuel Peralta for this wonderful gesture and for filling his amazing moon capsules with poetry and art from around the world.
Wishing you all a blessed Sunday and a peaceful new week,
with love from Xenia xxx
Photographs by Xenia Tran, edited in lr; photograph of my grandmother by K H Seeger.
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Xenia, your post this week was an absolute treasure. The poem is marvelous as is your Haibun – both wonderful examples of your work and talent. To think someday someone on the moon might enjoy them as I just did. Fantastic!! Congratulations to you.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Tina, it was such a lovely surprise when I heard about it and it felt a bit surreal! 💛 xxx
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That is wonderful, Xenia!
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Thank you kindly dear Martha! Much love to you, sweet Bear and Teddy from all of us here 🤗💕🐕 xxx
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💕🐾🐾
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What an amazing story, Xenia and I love the tribute to your grandmother ❤️ Much love to you all 💕🐕🤗xxx
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Cathy, it is such a lovely and generous gesture by Dr Samuel Peralta 💜 Wishing you a happy rest of the weekend and much love to you and sweet Flynn from all of us here 🤗💕🐕 xxx
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Thank you, Xenia 💕🐕💕xxx
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This is wonderful, Xenia. Congrats to all included in this collection.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Ken, it is so lovely of Dr Samuel Peralta to include all these wonderful works 💛
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Xenia–how exciting! Such great news.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Lois and much love to you and the kitties from all of us here 🤗💕🐈 xxx
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Oh my goodness, so amazing and exciting! …and the poem just warmed my heart! 💗
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Lisa! 💗 xxx
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What a cool post to fit all these challenges 😀 😀
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Cee, it was lovely to see the synchronicity when I opened the reader today 😊💜
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Oh, wow, what an honor! I am very excited for you, Xenia… you’ve achieved immortality! ❤
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Aww thank you so much for your kind words dear Eliza! 💜 xxx
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Wow that’s amazing. Congratulations
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Karina 💜
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They are such lovely poems. The story about your Grandmother makes it all the more special!
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Heather! 💜 xxx
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❤️
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Oh, WOW! Xenia this is fabulous news, your family must be so proud of you. I’m proud of you!!
Your grandma sounds like she was a fascinating and very wonderful person.
Thank you for sharing this news with our challenge. 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Sue, she was an amazing person and she would love the idea of this poem going to the moon. Thank you so much for hosting this lovely challenge too! 💜
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I’m very glad the challenge turned out to be just right for news. Thank you so much, Xenia 🤗
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Amazing! She loved the moon and now she’ s going through your words. I love it.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Anne, I’m so happy for her and she would love the idea too 💜 xxx
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I love the watch parts ornamenti. Beautiful tribute to your grandmother. My mother made it to 99 1/2, farrrrrr outdistancing anyone else in her large family. I do not expect to come close.
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Aww thank you so much for your kind words dear John and how wonderful your grandmother reached 99 1/2! 😊
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Xenia – very clever poem and fun post for surreal
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Yvette 💛
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☀️💙
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What an amazing honour! Congratulations to you and your grandmother 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Aimer! 😊
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Congrats, congrats! How wonderful. I share your grandmother’s fascination with time, and I am fascinated by the picture of the paperweight with the inner workings time.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Laurie! I used to love watching her make these creations when I was a child and all the family have at least one of these treasures that continue to make us smile 💖 xxx
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I am excited for you and DVerse team, Xenia. That is such an honour.
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Thank you kindly dear Tracy, it is truly lovely as the team put so much work into creating this anthology 💜 xxx
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❤
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That’s amazing!!!
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Thank you kindly dear Sheila! 💜
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This is wonderful and exciting, Xenia! Congratulations on your accomplishments!
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Eugenia 💜 xxx
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My pleasure! 💕
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How wonderful, and what an extraordinary thing to send for the first mission. I love both your poems.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Eileen, it is such an amazing project and an honour to be included 💜
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Thank you for sharing this information! Wonderful images, Xenia. 🙂
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Amy, it is a pleasure to share! 💗 xxx
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This is great dear Xenia, congratulations! What a beautiful post. you are poetry lady, love you so much, Thank you, Love, nia
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Nia and much love back from our house to yours 🤗💕🐈 xxx
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Such an amazing tribute to your talent, Xenia, and to your grandmother’s legacy. So sad to hear about your beloved Eivor and Pearl. I’ve been healing so I didn’t know. I will miss their visual presence in your photos.
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Olga, wishing you continued healing too 💞💜💞 xxx
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Xenia, this is a wonderful tribute to you and also your grandmother, how exciting, Congratulations!
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Sylvia! 💜
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Oh how wonderful! Congratulations my friend xx
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Thank you so much for your kind words dear Julie! 💖 xxx
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congrats 🙂
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Thank you kindly dear Neeraj 😊
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How exciting Xenia! You’re going to the moon…I can imagine your beautiful words let go to hang in the atmosphere above us. When will this happen?
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Aww thank you so much for your kind words dear Denise! The anthology will be flying to the moon as part of The Polaris Collection in November 2024 💜 xxx
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