The Night's Talons

The night sinks its talons into the day

and draws blood, red along its horizons

from there rise grey black clouds

ominously potent in their smoke

the sound of thunder, sight of light 

eclipsed

so full of power sets our imagination

our memories on fire as this great

bedspread in the sky shuts out the day

profound, omnipotent like God

our senses now reduced to thoughts

we feel the ground beneath, our souls

creep out from their deep sleeping places 

and with ghosts our conscious minds

floating about in sounds, the peopled darkness

clicks and shakes, as birds move on their roosts

the branches fallen on the path 

make cracks so sharp they echo back

the trees they whisper in the breeze 

of nights like these from long ago

night moths make spectres buff and grey and send

their messages another way

from ours in rosy bowers

of nights cool flowers sup honeyed dreams, 

not ours the cats set up their opera songs of love 

in deep dark night

waking us up from sleep

the owl hoots and glides past, no sound, unseen, 

moving the air on your cheek as his wings brush by

his mysterious flight a mouse squeaks and is eaten

the houses now like Christmas cards set up their fairy lights

with people moving round about in the dance of life like dice

with one hot drink to bed they sink into a stupor deep

now black still bubble and quietly glide

towards the never ending sea that joins the sky at last

infinity the void of space where stars make points of light

foxes roam while we're at home and dogs create a fuss

badgers waddle out of holes their sharp teeth snapping food

while in the sky the acrobats those bats that fly like papers black 

now cleared of cloud, abide a host that's always 

there the intangible black velvet gown of night 

that frowns it darkness down on hill and town

and all we know is covered out of sight.