POEM 20

Pulling my sweater closer as I round the trail around Sherwood Mall on an unusually frigid, June night.

The sky is deep purple with a slice of silver moon. The constellations are pinpoints decorating the night.

My footfalls echo into the distance and the chill in the air deepens.

A cluster of fireflies in the grassy growth on the path’s edge, flitter and blink with cool green light.

So many sounds around me, crickets chirp, cicadas scream then go silent as I pass under the trees

bullfrogs croak from the shallow ditch. Zukey my faithful Schnoodle trots at my side.

The jingle from his tags filling any space left for sounds in the night.

The mall is closed but the stores are faintly lit giving the darkness a fringe of safety.

I love this time of the evening, as the world settles and breathes softer like a baby  put down for the night.

The darkness is like a void around me as I bid it goodnight.