Night

Night

Far off,
in the distance,
On the bridge that crosses the river
in the center of town,
I hear a train clattering by.

Outside, in the trees,
I hear the wind whisper,
and tell itself stories
of sunlit days and rainswept nights.

Out in the yard,
I hear the crickets,
play music for each other.

Footsteps go crunch, crunch
Teenagers laughing as they walk by.

Outside my window,
I hear the night...

A solitary car
on the highway
past the bridge, up the hill, far away,
rushes past
hurrying home,
or
to some business meeting,
have to be there early
in the morning.

The murmer of my son, dreaming,
The bed-springs, creaking,
The cat, purring on the stairs,
The sigh of my breath,
The beat of my heart.

It's not so quiet in the night.
If you listen.