Battle of the Bulge
(Earth-Moon gravity)
Like many love relationships
the Earth and Moon are falling out.
Despite their great attractiveness
there’s friction they don’t talk about.
When first they met, they twirled and danced.
Their gravitation’s fondness showed.
But by degrees, as time has passed
rotations of their dance have slowed.
The Moon no longer pirouettes
within her orbit round the Earth.
Instead one side is always set
to face the world (and watch his girth).
Their gravity distorts their crusts
and makes them bulge at closest side.
Earth’s oceans rise as though to thrust
a beckoned hand to Moon’s fine pride.
For she creates the ebbs and flows
of all the seas that make our tides.
But honestly, that friction slows
her down and makes her really tired!
Four centimetres every year
she moves away from Earth’s embrace.
Our Moon is drifting off, I fear,
and nothing else could take her place.
from The Science Rhymes Book – second edition (Jabiru Publishing 2018)
Australian Children’s Poetry 