--- Winter Night --–

By John Herlihy

I listen to the silence becoming sound,

With the breath of deep space all around.

Silence can be loud enough to convey a fear,

The breath of night creatures surprisingly near.

The night sounds of winter do convey a chill,

Eerie and distinctive that only winter may instill?

The silence so great any sound seems startling,

As the silence of stars will just leave us staring.

Huddled in a potato sack listening in winter nights,

The sounds miraculously open myriad night lights.

The turgid river in flood uttering its strangled call,

The thunderous heaving of icy waters in a waterfall.

Blocks of ice knocking hard, sounding their crack,

The gentle murmurings of icicles take up the slack.

Impervious to the cold, hummingbirds set to trill,

The hum enters my brain, the beating wings thrill.

Silver fish brave the water’s face as slivers of light,

Moonlight to be exact, what a glorious, soulful sight.

One last look reveals the silence of descending snow,

These stars of night descend as specks of moonglow.

So, before I sleep, I bid this winter evening good night,

That has arrived for but a moment before it takes flight.

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(c) John Herlihy 24 November 2018