silent night

from city sky rise to forest cottage
nights sound a lot different around here
I can't get enough of the silence
though it's not as silent as it first seemed
there's always a rhythm
tonight it's crickets
sometimes it's the wind
the rain is my favorite nightsong
sometimes the black feral cat is in heat
her shrieks echo in the woods all night

tonight I marvel at not so much what I hear
but what I hear not
I love that I hear no cars
no sirens
no people
no static from the dirty electricity

the darkness scared me at first
I've never lived anywhere without street lights
but it's not actually pitch black, like it first seemed
there's a glow, even in the darkest of new moons
I love forest nightglow as the moon grows full
I see not buildings but redwood silhouette

Stars
vast deep dark rhythmic universe
dancing around me
and within me
it's so peaceful out here
my inner chaos merges with the cosmos
my breath aligns with the chirping
night is for sleep
but I like to stay awake in this dreamland