Night Spell
By John Herlihy

Twilight descends.
With a sweet hush,
Another day ends.
The blue sky drains away.
The black night gains sway.
Sunlight flickers a dying flame.
The light finally disappears,
Like a debt in arrears.
Nothing stays the same.
The day has another name.
Night calls us.
The darkness enthralls us.

Stars shoot, fall, and fade.
The moon arches over the glade.
The spell of evening blames us.
Our petty fear shames us.
We look to the horizon,
But see endless night.
Our premonitions are justified.
Our fears quantified.
The night celebrates a question.
The mystery has arrived.
Who could foretell,
The coming of night spell.