Night had fallen long ago
and the midnight hour passed,
yet in the yellow circle of my lamplight,
I pressed on in my quiet work.

And for a moment I paused, and set aside my pencil
then, without its scratching upon the paper
I could hear the silence of the world asleep.

Grey dawn was not yet near; Red dusk had long since passed
Now cool black lay across the earth
and quiet darkness filled the sky.

No wind disturbed a blade of grass, or leaves upon the trees,
No cries or shrieks of nighttime beasts shook the earthly silence.
And the forest stream silently trickled through shadowed trees.

Upon realizing that I was the only thing in the world awake,
my lamp the only light,
my work lay spread across my desk
and my pencil, set aside,
I once again listened to the silence of a world asleep,
Then not pausing for a moment
I turned off the light.
My work could wait for tomorrow.