If You Go Into The Woods Tonight

In the gloom of the fading forest light 

dusk has already settled. The masts 

of the tree canopy, dark and skeletal

reach beyond to the purple night sky.

Wind of the day has subsided

not a whisper threading through the

leaf-bare oaks and maples. Giant pines 

faintly rustle with the night sound of birds 

at rest. An owl peers its telescopic sight 

to the forest floor detecting mice and moles. 

A man treads quietly through the snow

keeping pace with his dog, the two

leaving an indelible track of blue-white

indentations in the otherwise pristine

landscape. Unseen by either, the ghost

of a coyote silently watches waiting

for the intruders to finally leave.