MIDNIGHT SOUNDS

Written for Monty's Traditional Poetry Contest

MIDNIGHT SOUNDS

The quiet of the night is interrupted by noise
of snow sliding off the roof, crashing to ground.
Midnight sounds rouse the old dog from sleep,
barking to warn off anyone prowling around.

I turn on the outside light to reassure myself
and to make sure everything is quite all right.
The sound of the snow slide is not new to me,
It's good to have it come off the roof tonight.

The furnace kicks on and heat fills the room
and I listen to the ticking of a clock in the hall.
The dog's steady breathing as she settles down
means she has completely forgotten it all.

It has been snowing for days, a wintry phrase
that will pass in the weeks still yet to come.
Smarter than me, she now snores peacefully,
as I sit here longing for the warmth of the sun.

The creaks and groans of an old country home
will not keep me from sleep very much longer.
To live with the snow when it's twenty below
only serves to make an old woman stronger!

Countrymom
3/5/07