It's the attentive hour
when the world dances
with glorious fires of sunsets,
before darkness extinguishes
the last wondrous glow
on the quivering horizon.

Wise owl, bird of the night,
watchful eyes sharply focused,
keen ears perked,
will soon tune in
to whispers of loneliness,
shrieks of fear,
and gasps of grief.

Rapt in terrified awe
by the moon's beguiling glare,
we wait for a different dance
to move us through the hours of gloom
toward a flickering sky,
igniting into a daylight candle.