To Last The Night

 

Citrus twilight climbs the distant canyon wall
in pursuit purple evening
a crown of broadhead pine
atop the shadow
charge the last of dying day
color collapsed some time ago
into somber tones
monosyllabic ghosts
a gathering of minion spirits
stewards brokering for the day's undress
mothers clinging in killer's claws
to their surrogates
affiliates not yet disconnected to the source
that power of the womb

from cold eclipse of bough and stone
a panther wandering willy-nilly into moon whisper
her orbit pools of quiet footfalls
her soothing rhythm inaudible
a lull to sleep nevertheless
a false promise in that pussy's purr
 
Callisto
like Europa
and strange Io
her revolutions no more reverent
than those captive to Zeus' heavenly embrace
brightest diamond winking in the swelling empyrean
yellow like the cat's eyes
soft of paw
hardened heart
a nitehawk in whistling spiel propounds for all
his hunger
the night comes fully
and the things caught in it
we have only ourselves now
to blame
until morning's glow.

TA