across the dark country lane
headlight high-beams caught him in the glare
lookin twice before he crossed the road in front of me
a sleek, ring-tailed bobcat slid
under the neighbor’s new, shiny
out-of-place
automatic fence….
he looked over his shoulder at me
just once, but straight in the eye
daring me to breathe a word
or try to talk him out of it
or make any moves to
initiate interference
“don’t fuck with me”, he whispered under his breath
there’s no disturbing such a focused mission….
travelin’ close to the ground, he was young-ish and
looking like a painter had designed his summer coat
a careful design, gallery quality perfect markings
over a too-thin belly….
chances are, he had sniffed out
a vague, pavlovian memory of scent
and the dinner bell was clanging…
chances are he was on his way
to sample the dual yappy
small-dog buffet that lives inside that gate
such tasty morsels for a late summer’s night snack..
country life is quiet instead of gun shots and backfiring low-riders
screech owls yell from pine to pine one call, mid -flight per night
then later, the barn owl duet starts singin back-up
while the ridgetop coyote teach the youngsters
the fine technique of a midnite howl
exciting the dogs who then respond in frenzied tones
before dozing back to sleep…
wrap up in this blanket with me
high on this west-faced country deck
the dark skies are beckoning
listen to the nightsounds’ snarffles and scratchings
while something flutters in the black bamboo
settling in for the night….
quiet! the young, motherless deer threesome
are back searching the low hanging
branches for low-hanging apples…
sleep with me inside these nightsounds tonite
its too hot for bed
too sticky to be tossing
’round in a hot down comforter…
hear it? its starting
the orchestra pit is warming up
sensing our quiet
a nighttime serenade….