Not a breath

Not a breath

Of a whisper

No wind to speak of

Anything meaningful

Barely a light in the sky

To see by

Candles not an option

In a smoke-free world

No telltale sign

Of an angels wing

Or the silence

Of an owl in flight

An oppressive night

Of indifference

With little acknowledgement

From the moon

Of my existence

There is no telling

Of an age-old story

In the shadow

On the wall

It is not dancing

Only loitering

With intent

To disappear with morning

Inspiration

Is no stranger

To the danger

Of misuse

It is in league

Hand and glove

With the stench

Of perspiration

In the deeply down dig

For the truth

Of conviction

Is there a muse

Buried beneath a layer

Of hopeless

Self-delusion

Is it open to abuse

What is the protocol

Is there anything left

To call upon

In the dark hours

Even as birds sing

Someone fires a gun

There is a shadow in the sun.