Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

The moon reigned full and bright
No glow of dawn yet showed
beyond the trees beside the lake.
It seemed my quiet breath was all
the sound that moment
I commented on the moon
at breakfast,
struggling to explain the water’s
perfect calm,
and the velvet silence.

Later in the day I walked
again beside the lake,
hearing now a restless murmur
as small waves crested and
gathered, and broke against
the sand.
It was a gentle summer sound
and I received it as such.
But my ear caught also
a low deep rumble, a sound
I could not place.
A small metal boat grated
against the wooden dock
nearby, but its noise
was much lighter as it
rode the silver wave.

This new sound must be
something far below
doubtless innocent.
But the moonlit silence
of the night crept into
my mind,
and my mood darkened
as I turned away.

July 2008