(Almost) full moon

It was full moon last night but it was raining. Tonight it is clear, the air chill enough to feel cold as I inhale, a warning of frost, but being outside on moonlit nights is a joy. While we don’t have officially dark skies – the lights of Kilmarnock are visible across the valley – there is far less light pollution here than in even the smallest village. The pale moonlight and sky full of stars are one of the great joys of life here.

The silver moon rises
Harvest gold,
Creeping into clichéd beauty
Behind the silhouetted trees,
My torch redundant
In its cool light.
The now invisible mud
Slops over my booted feet
As I shut up
Reluctant hens,
Hear them squawk,
Indignant,
Jostle for space
In crowded coops.
The black cat,
Hunting,
Stalks up a moonbeam
Into the dark.

CC SIA 14 ix 2019