starry night, o starry night
within you I trod alone.
   your placid, yet sheer power
injects hot ember into bone
majestic crescent moon sheds these
      gray and somber lights.
haunted orchestra of bleakness
   led by distant coyote cries

   I tiptoe and I tremble
bare feet sink into soft earth
    from a whispering grove of aspen
an emboldened owl offers words
starry night, o starry night
high ceiling’s darkest blue
open wider your embrace
draw me deeper into you

as a guest within your presence
i'll left all other things behind
they drag me so much further
from any clarity of mind
though i must carry my past day sorrow
i cannot just put it down
the weight bears upon my shoulders
i may just crumble into ground

there hides a secret power
in the silvery silent still
whose effect pounds within my temples
amplifies my power of will
i work to shed these shackles
with every outward breath
and somewhere deep within me
new life conquers death