finally got the sage dog inside,
she had been barking relentless
at the something out there;
cautious, calling for back-up barking.
searching the darkness i stretch my ears
to see what she saw – porcupine, bushpig, caracal?
torchlight in the forest finds nothing but leaf –
drawing the circle closer.
back to bed and warmth and sleep
but my skin is awake now
and thirsty for night.
pushing my window open
i wait for the startled silence
to fade, frog by frog,
until darkness is alive
and beauty is not owned by sight.
i fall asleep like that
consumed by the cool of night
and the thick pulsing voices
of tree.
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