an owl's cry

Moonlight surrounds me

breathtaking in its beauty
solemn and strong.
The warmth from my lips leaves foggy trails
betraying where I've been.
Ghosts, memories of lives long gone
once haunting, wailing, blackening the skies
are weakened, thinned through time.
All that's left are whispers.
To them, I send a smoky goodbye
on a warm breath in cold night air.
These are new nights
This, this is my new life.

I feel alive when the temperatures drop.
cold hands, warm skin beneath leather and wool
scents of wood smoke, bourbon, cologne ..
taste of apples on my lips ..
intoxicating.
brightly colored leaves tinted blue after midnight
crunch beneath footsteps in no hurry to fall.
My heart beats, with you, in this.
Everything else, just stops.
This night will last a lifetime.
I spread my arms
let out a cry
and laugh with delight.
This, this is my time.

Once again, life has shifted.
Against all odds,
I survived.