A husky's lonesome howl
Breaks the silence
Of the night
And is answered 
By the yips of coyotes
Somewhere
Beyond our pasture.
The temperature hovers
Between temperate and cool
As the seasons battle for supremacy
And stars fill the infinite sky,
Their light unhindered by clouds. 
A light breeze
Lifts the hair from my shoulders
And rustles the changing leaves,
Blowing a few away into the dark.
In the distance
I can hear the quick flowing sounds
Of water
As it follows the creekbed
On its way
To a larger stream,
And from the knoll
On the other side
A screech owl's shrill call
Prompts a response
From another
In a tree close by,
Causing me to jump
Then chuckle at myself.
Minutes pass
And I feel the chill
As the temperature continues to drop;
I take a last deep breath
Of the fresh, fall air,
Hating the thought of going inside
But knowing that I must,
For it is after midnight
And my beloved awaits
Cozy and warm
Beneath hand-pieced quilts
In a four-poster bed,
Wondering bemusedly
As he savors the heat 
What it is
About our porch
On cool autumn nights 
That lures me away
From his side.