MOONLESS NIGHT
No moon sailed in beauty across the sky,
Not one cloud sailed along or roamed on high,
The stars were rich diamonds in a deep blue cape,
No wind rustled the tree tops to keep you awake.

No shadows lurked for darkness was complete,
In the countryside where the night feeders eat,
Even a soft paw stepping on a branch was heard,
It would have been a crime to speak a human word.

Hushed was the sounds of day, even the wind slept,
As if some great, wonderful secret had to be kept.
Then, the hoot of an owl and a swoop of a wing,
A quiet little squeak, and silence for some poor thing.

Some nights are very silent, as quiet as they can be,
Others rant and rave as a storm blows with great fury,
Winds scream, trees moan and groan and lakes roar,
Such a different picture than the one the night before.

Millicent Ann Margetson May 20, 2002