The Last Cricket in Ohio Sings a Song of Wilderness

I walk out into dark that feels
sacred, even though it's Ohio,
it's now. Orion strides above,

shattered ice strewn across
the vast black, a hint of azure.
The year's last crickets

are singing their hearts out,
slower than yesterday.
They know the north wind

is serious about staying.
Shivers in the trees, a stirring
of birds. The crickets chant

their names until my presence
quiets them. I hear the silence
of eternity. They'll sing again
only when I've gone home.

Copyright © 2003 David Citino All rights reserved
from Paperwork
Kent State University Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission