Goodbye, Sweet Nocturne

Listening to the wind howl,
Subtle as it is. Leaves wince.
Stealthily concealed from the owl,
He waits, fearful of the night-time prince.

Eyes glinting under the ardent moon,
Shadows play. Branches shake.
Padded feet begin to swoon,
Moving for the knot, life at stake.

Claws burrow into wooden skin,
Panic erupts. Trees moan.
Furred limbs ache as air grows thin,
Glory beheld in his oaken throne -

Out of grasp,
Talons clasp.