I wake up with a start
My heart is beating fast
The clock strikes ‘one’
But no revelers out for fun…
I look at the North star
That seems so very far –
Then, in the stillness of the night
When all is calm and quiet
An owl softly hoots
A rat swiftly scoots
A vagrant totters to his makeshift bed
His eyes are still bloodshot and red..
The crickets in the pond
Startled by a loud horn
Start their noisy song
To which the frogs respond
By a chorus swift and strong..
Slowly the sounds fade
And all is again calm
Which acts on me like a balm
For I return now to rest
With serenity in my chest…