According to Wikipedia, John Brown (May 9, 1800 – December 2, 1859) was an American abolitionist leader who was hanged for his violent insurrection against slavery.
In most Western cultures, black cats have typically been looked upon as a symbol of evil omens. They are also linked to witchcraft with a belief, that witches can transform into black cats
The full moon represents the height of a circlular rythm but is also connected to witchcraft rituals
My Interpretation:
John Brown, who is a violent insurgent against slavery (the status-quo at the time) is a "black cat": an unpleasant omen for the ruling white class of changing times and eventually the civil war. Since Brown was himself white but fighting for the rights of the black slaves, the adjective "black" gains another meaning. Further associations are "the black panthers" (panther = cat) and "black sheep".
His "big yellow eyes" represent his hope for a brighter future - which is asserted with the words "full moon is rising" (=his time is coming). The image of the big yellow eyes is mirrored in the image of the full moon, signifying that his hopes are not illusory.
Now for the next lines I assume one has to have intricate knowledge of Brown's biography. Cats usually jump through windows and over fences but they can also be obstacles that require risk taking.
"You catch the world, big open eyes" suggests that 1) he understands the world correctly by being open and receiving (in opposition to being judgemental) and 2) gaining followers for his cause and eventually drawing the "whole world" (here the USA) into his cause (leading to civil war).
Catching some "berries from trees that reach the sky" signifies that he accomplishes something extraordinary, truely grand, dignified and/or honorable - which probably refers to his impact in the struggle for human equality.
The next line, however, sets a limit to this greatness: he is a cat (human) that gets older (=weaker, less impactful) and eventually dies. He had a positive impact ("a good life") but couldn't "fix" inequality and slavery in his lifetime (which cannot be expected of a single person).
The full moon represents the height of a circlular rythm but is also connected to witchcraft rituals
My Interpretation: John Brown, who is a violent insurgent against slavery (the status-quo at the time) is a "black cat": an unpleasant omen for the ruling white class of changing times and eventually the civil war. Since Brown was himself white but fighting for the rights of the black slaves, the adjective "black" gains another meaning. Further associations are "the black panthers" (panther = cat) and "black sheep". His "big yellow eyes" represent his hope for a brighter future - which is asserted with the words "full moon is rising" (=his time is coming). The image of the big yellow eyes is mirrored in the image of the full moon, signifying that his hopes are not illusory. Now for the next lines I assume one has to have intricate knowledge of Brown's biography. Cats usually jump through windows and over fences but they can also be obstacles that require risk taking. "You catch the world, big open eyes" suggests that 1) he understands the world correctly by being open and receiving (in opposition to being judgemental) and 2) gaining followers for his cause and eventually drawing the "whole world" (here the USA) into his cause (leading to civil war). Catching some "berries from trees that reach the sky" signifies that he accomplishes something extraordinary, truely grand, dignified and/or honorable - which probably refers to his impact in the struggle for human equality. The next line, however, sets a limit to this greatness: he is a cat (human) that gets older (=weaker, less impactful) and eventually dies. He had a positive impact ("a good life") but couldn't "fix" inequality and slavery in his lifetime (which cannot be expected of a single person).