There was something very big, very near, rustling
around in the fallen leaves, You could tell that it was
big by the noises it made, bold and unfamiliar sounds.

It was bigger than a rodent, a feral cat, a lost dog,
a raccoon, a possum, a skunk, a small deer, a fox,
a coyote, or any wandering phantom of the night.

Since a big mountain lion ran right past us the other night,
we weren’t taking any chances. When something like that
happens, you never quite feel at ease in the dark forest.

Without lingering in fright’s paralysis, we blended back
into the void, with only our scent remaining to explain
how we once may have been here, but now we’re not.

First we were a whisper, then we became the ambient
forest sounds of the evening, the ones you can hear
if you stop chattering and simply let them talk.

Some nesting birds suddenly took flight. They bolted
out of the Cherry Laurels and scared themselves even
more, since now they were flying blind and disoriented.

This is how it is for all of us — something startles us, then
we find ourselves, sightless, in a dark realm where predators
rustle in the forest, hungry creatures with ominous intent.