Concessions

Laden clouds hung upon the starless night,
And cloaked the waning moon.
Static air stood still and heavy,
And darkness drew up all breathing room.
Dusk had crossed the border into night
From a dreary afternoon of impending rain,
Shadows had stole silently through the window
Like the hours of a pocket-watch slipping from its chain.
A table lamp clicked on in the corner,
The automatic timer somewhat delayed.
Luminous dust particles danced in the light
Cast ceiling-ward by the yellowed lampshade.
Cold ashes lay in the fireplace,
Testimony to last night’s flame kindled within,
And an old Franklin furnace moored in the cellar
Trembled the register in the oak paneled den.
Slow rain on the roof, rafters groaning,
Floor joists creaking with the cold.
The old house grudgingly settling upon
Compelling variables it cannot control.

* de - may 2004