Night Life

The night lets you know
with certainty
that you are unworthy of it.

Sure, you're brave enough,
in that imaginary sense,
to enter it, to begin -
shuffling quietly through
an ambush of fireflies.

Beyond them, there are no lights,
but the blurred stars too far away
to notice you and the moon
who must have called out sick.

There's just a faint semi-glow
to the light sandy surface
of the dirt road to guide
the placement of your feet.

You begin to listen with your whole body.

Imagination tingles and
you're thinking it really is your sixth sense,
until the throaty growls and hoarse barking
of fast approaching dogs you cannot see
stops and stiffens you in your tracks.

"Easy...", you say,
to the darkness.