NIGHTWALK

The moon shimmers
luminous in the blue-black sky,
the smell of night,
of sleeping flowers,
faintly tinged with the scent
of distant storms.

As dew beads on grass,
cool winds stir dead heat,
bringing fresh air,
whisking away the old,
cleansing mind, body, spirit,
of the day just passed.

Tranquility and contentment,
the sense of being
one with all, alone without loneliness.
It is good to be awake
in the silence of the night
under dark, shifting clouds.

This is my world, while others exist
in the sleep of dreams,
dawn unfolds as the sun
peeks around a corner of the world,
and I submerge into
the dreams of sleep.

June 19, 1989