new verse

Nightfall


Night falls on the forest.
The owl swoops silently from one perch to another
the moon whispers, do as I do, not as I say
the stream seeks silence, hence depth, but cannot restrain its giggling
the grasshopper says, is it?
the squirrel says, right
the tree says, tree
the worm rarely speaks, but when it does, everyone listens
the pine needle, daisy and cricket sing in harmony, don’t blame us
the mosquito joins in, mostly on the choruses
the frog is the only one to complain about the weather
the daffodil wakes, says, shh, and goes back to sleep
the mongoose says, clean up after yourselves please
the bat asks, is it there that the drowned live?
the beetle, Angel of the Forest, says, round, round, round
the termite opens its mouth, but in the end says nothing
the wind talks all night long.
Only the dawn brings quiet.