Equal Night

Refusing to movethe stone away

I remain on guardaccustomed to the dark

the stone and Iside by side

listening hard againstthe silence without

even the motion of thoughtThe autumn owl

stutters a different callfrom summer's burst

the swiveling brainseeing while I stand

shoulder pressed to rockremembering the coal

the way snow recallswater

curved by our mineralweight

Refusing to movethe stone away

I have kept it very wellthis porous hearth

my companion beneathheaven lost to gravity