Summer nights at the lake
frequently found me asking
if I could go to bed early,
thus confounding my elders
who knew from others the
battles waged getting
visiting grandchildren in bed

but we were studious viewers
of the channel 7/12 news
with special attention paid to
the weather forecast in which
they always made note of the
status of that night’s moon

that crucial information
to the fishermen of Minnesota
lake country was also a note
of early-to-bed glory for me
my downstairs bedroom faced
Horseshoe Lake – a glistening
moon on gently lolling water
was the visual lullaby I
longed to fall asleep to

In the morning, I would
awaken at first light,
waves softly lapping at sandy
shore, as content to just
lay there in solitude as I
was to go to bed early
the night before to just
lay in my bed
watching the moon,
waiting for the sun
never once caring if
the fish would bite or not

– Mark L. Lucker
© 2016