The Native Iowan

I feel the muse calling… As the sun sets. As the day wanes. Darkness. Coming. Soon. Day: Being replaced. Being driven away. By night. Those that sleep. Flying home. Dig in. Take roost. Bed down. Their calls. Heard. In motion. Moving. Returning. They prepare. A safe haven. A strong defense. They prepare. For the night.

Those that wake. Prepare. For the night. Wait. For the night. To hunt. To mate. With the night. They are patient. Listening. Calling out. Testing the air. Tasting the air. Looking for signs. In the night. Life is predatory. Life is cheap. Life is fleeting. In the night. The strong survive. Mate. Endure. The night.

You sit. Watch it all change. From light to dark. From visible life… to that which is not seen. From sensory overload. To deprivation. Warmth, security to… Darkness. Insecurity. Fear? The unknown. Heard. Sensed. Not seen. Felt? Surely. Felt. Near by. In the night. Of the night. You know you are. Of the night.

The sun drops below the horizon. Trees, bushes. Dark profiles. Shadows lengthening. The darkness they cast: Growing. Larger. Covering the ground. Consuming the earth. Around me. Darkness. Grows. Engulfs me. Covers you. As a warm wrap. You feel content. Awake. Alive. In the dark. Your senses sharpen. Eyes widen. You feel at home. In the night.

The light can blind. Burn. Disable. Maim. Even, kill. The darkness is friendly. Home. Welcoming. Safe. The darkness offers comfort. Protection. Those of the day: Shun the night. Fear the night. Hide. Bury. Protect themselves. From the dark. From those of the dark. Who know the dark. Who feed the dark. As it feeds them.

Night sounds. In full chorus. Near. Far. Calling. Beckoning. Begging… Come out. Come hunt. Come mate. Come be one. In the night. With the dark. Wrap its shroud around you. Sit still. Open your ears. Open your eyes. Breathe deeply. The night. The dark. Transforms. You. Your Eyes. Ears. Senses. Into one. With the night.

In the night. Your eyes now see. The night. The dark. Offer more. The stars. Vibrate and shine. Their light. Casting shadows. The wind. Carrying scent. The air. Moving. Caressing you. Carrying sound. Telling you tales. Giving you directing. In the night. You now see. Hear. Smell. You are now awake. Alive. In the night.