music of the night

what i hear when the lights are off

 

i am an old woman

lying alone in my bed

in the eerie half-light

of ready lights

on all the electronics

scattered about the room.

i shove a pillow against

the glare of the digital clock.

 

i am an old woman

listening to the night,

as countless old women have done

across immeasurable time,

wondering when the night will come

that never ends.  you think i care?

i don’t care.

the night is peaceful.

in eager anticipation

of the approaching rainy season,

a few frogs croak cheerfully.

although there is the occasional soft hoot of an owl,

the birds are always silent at night.

now and then

the dead leaves blanketing the terrace

betray stealthy steps

of a creature on the hunt.

frantic rustling in the undergrowth

of the wild green belt down the hill

tells the tale of prey,

sometimes punctuated

with a strangled cry

or a defiant snarl.

coyotes howl from distant rocky points

on lonelier hills,

a nervous rooster crows,

a dog or two yip at the moon.

it is the music of the night.

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

"i am an old woman

listening to the night,

as countless old women have done

across immeasurable time,

wondering when the night will come

that never ends. "

I feel the sense of loneliness and resignation of fate in this wonderful poem. A very touching one...Pen on...:)

[annie lee]

thank you, Sami.

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome...:)

[Sami Khalil]

^^~^^ :)...........

[Tom]

What a terrific atmospheric picture you have created through this well crafted poem, the music of the night...Brilliant indeed !!

[annie lee]

Thanks for reading and reviewing. Cheers.

[Abhishekizy]

This is a great write, very descriptive, sends a wide array of imagination and i love the tiny bit of nature thrown in.... indeed a well written piece

[annie lee]

Thank you.

[Ruth]

The silence does allow thought, sometimes we don't like what we hear either and others...we can just be....beautiful piece! xx

[annie lee]

Thank you, Poppy.

[Chris]

Sometimes I think the best part of WC is getting to listen to someone else while I sip some coffee. We've all windows on the world - its just that it's only sometimes we hear those voices our eyes have seen.

[annie lee]

Thank you, Chris.

[Laminators Dubai]

now that the sprite of sprites!

that so thoughtful lee^^
thanks for sharing!

[annie lee]

Thank you for reading and reviewing.

[Laminators Dubai]

anytime.......^^

[Azure Montessa (Blue)]

"you think i care? i don’t care." I love this shift. It's quite a break from the tone of the first few lines. It's a cool introspection. I wonder if it's intentional humor? It had me chuckling, actually. :)
Anyway, I love how you were able to put into words the music of the night. I like listening to it, too. Good write! :)

[annie lee]

yes, I have found at my age that laughing about the inevitable is healthy. I think of the end as the beginning of an adventure that NOBODY has a clue about. Thanks for the review.

[Azure Montessa (Blue)]

"Undiscovered country" as Shakespeare puts it. :)

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Excellent portrait of listening in the dark. I must remember to cover my clock with a pillow as it is the brightest I have ever come across! A poem with several moods is what I detect. Contentment, acquiescence, a oneness with life and yet a feel of aloneness. Well described piece.

[Rita L. Sev]

The music of the night... a wonderful symphony from your pen, Annie! I don't like those little lights from the electronics, either...

[annie lee]

When I first moved to my house here in the rural hill, it was DARK when we turned off the lights. But now computers, printers, cell phone chargers, dvrs, cd players, HDtvs, even the little emergency lights we have plugged in for emergencies cast that eerie little flickering light -- it almost feels like weird night vision. Thanks for reviewing.

[Solilokiss]

I came to hear what you hear and thank you for sharing it with us. It's nice to just listen isn't it? To all the sounds around us. I enjoyed this. It took me to that place of silence and solace. Thank you.

[annie lee]

Thank you for your visit and your kind words.

[Solilokiss]

You are welcome :)

[Frieda P]

Seems you've settled into vintage quite nicely annie, I love how you spun the night, with the modern day interferences and the sounds of nature balancing it out. Wonderfully pen'd.

[annie lee]

Thank you, Frieda. An ironic turn: we just returned from a party at the neighbors, one of those wonderful Mexican familia gatherings celebrating baptisms and shortly after we walked in the front door, all our power failed. PG&E fixed it pretty quick, but not before we got to see the black night of these rural hills again.

[Frieda P]

Thanks when you have to make your own music. My pleasure annie.