scent of night

[xmy.only.exitx]

Weary feet are homeward bound,
And shadows lenghthen on the ground,
And all around me crickets sing,
The night is slowly coming in.
The air is filled with kitchen smells,
The barks of dogs and quiet farewells,
The stench of death, disease, despair
The roving eyes from a predator's lair,
The curses of a street-corner fight,
The rooftop dancing of the moonlight,
The soft fading of a far lullaby,
The bidding of all hope goodbye.