Night's Sentry

By Christina Mariam Das

Beaming gracefully she rises unnoticed,

Her misty form covering the earth.

Soothingly she caresses the awake,

Sliding in stealthily through windows,

ventilations and gaps,

shamelessly peeking at lives in slumber.

Clear streams reflected her beauty,

creatures of the night in awe of her aura,

rustling leaves and hooting owls,

accompanied her in her expeditions.

Torching the fright of the night,

she lights the dark in hopeful sights.

Stopping by a dusty window,

she sees a man senile and weary,

through another she sees a girl asleep,

tucked in with love.

Behind a windowsill, she an unknown visitor,

Peeked at a whining baby in cuddles.

Yet growing not weary but curious

she goes on..

Soon she stops at an unsettling sight,

For one in his prime, fed up of life,

held a blade to awaken death,

Pondering, he sat thinking blank,

the darkness around him,

drowning the dark of the night.

Gently fell the rolling tears,

Silent sobbing that went unheard.

Shining with hope gushed in the moon,

Dispelling darkness with her splendid bright.

He wept calling out to life,

Leaving to sleep to begin anew.

In pride left the moon,

continuing her cruise.

Far away she spots,

Innocent eyes shut tight,

Dreaming dreams bigger than his crumbled hutments.

In mansions built high,

Lavished in décor,

Marked the existence of sleepless lives,

Wandering in plight.

Much of the stories left her hurt,

yet casting eerie shadows,

she plays along,

recreating tales of ghosts and goblins,

finding her own happiness.

Alone at night she shines and shines,

through rainy nights and cloudy skies,

she shines without losing her shine.

And for one last time she looks down,

drowning the secrets of the dark in her brilliant light,

praying she hoped,

that she would see the same lives she saw that day

that the day wouldn’t take them away.

Retiring for the night she leaves unnoticed

To stand sentry, yet another night.

By Christina Mariam Das