Shadow in the Night

A cloud slides across the moon
A shadow falls softly from the sky
And lands on padded feet
The trees stretch their aching spines
Looming ever closer in the perfect gloom
Now is the darkest hour of the night

In the distance, a baby’s scream
Drags overtired parents from their bed
In your room you rise from the deep of sleep
A nightmare blooming in your mind
To clear it you slide open the window
And your thoughts follow an errant breeze

A bird wakes up from her perch on her eggs
To glare balefully at the shadow creeping by
The shadow sends an invisible smile her way
She shivers and draws closer to her brood
The shadow feels her mood and slips away
It has a purpose to complete before the day

On cautious feet you leave your bed for the outdoors
Your bare toes curl in the soft wet grass
You rub your arms as you wonder why you came
In the distance an owl hoots and you stiffen
With the small animals hidden in the undergrowth
You calm, and turn your eyes to the stars

The cloud moves on, the moon is free
Its soft white glow falls on the shadow
It wavers in the sudden onslaught of light
But hardens as it comes to know its desperate plight
It speeds up, its edges blurring as they ripple
Passing over the uneven ground littered with stones

You feel soothed, having turned your worries over
And turn to return to your sheets
You feel the skin on your scalp tighten
And you rush homeward as the dark becomes heavy
In the corner of your eye you see a movement
And you turn your head to see who goes there

The shadow sees with hidden eyes its counterpart
Your hair ablaze with the fiery stars
The shadow rushes towards you, and you turn
To see who goes there in the darkest hour
You rush towards your shadow, your feet meet
You raise your arm and the shadow follows, behind a beat

The shadow sees the faintest tendrils of light
Reclaiming the sky from the night
Instinctively it fears for its life
But then remembers you
Against the ever-brightening ground
You and your shadow are dark and strong