Nightfall

I stood and let the night fall 

down around me. 

At the horizon the sky 

was palest pink; 

directly overhead, 

when I craned my neck to see, 

a lone star pricked through 

the growing darkness. 

Crickets sang, and katydids, 

but the birds were silent. 

The air was soft and barely moved. 

We were quiet, the evening and I, 

contemplating each other. 

I wrapped my sweater around my shoulders 

and dreamed as the mantle of shadowy gray 

drifted silently down over 

what was left of the day, and me.