Dark around my house sounds
Scratch of little claws on tiny feet across my front porch
Rough slide and tumble of a dry leaf on the patio
Faint hoofsteps pointing noses to where my green Hosta grows
Flap of Catalpa leaves in an unexpected but welcome summer breeze
Neighbor's door and then the cover on her garbage can
   Then her door again
Dead branch falling through the maple tree to the ground
The call of an owl
  furious perhaps
  hungry
  having missed the tiny claws on my porch