Night Music

A robin red breast heard a cricket's song
she watched his thighs move in a magical way
and the song but a whisper, a twist of phrase
She spoke to him in bird song of careful thought
until after a few nights it felt like occasion to celebrate
this date of the robin and the cricket
and the almost effortless song they shared

In a bird fluster of Summer things to do
she, a Robin afraid of heights hadn't wanted
to notice that in quiet moments she'd listen for a song
not her own song, not a new song she'd sing
she knew those songs a thousand times over
melody of want and well more want
chirping lyrics of children and flowers and of the quiet
stillness in a night sky
when the moon fills the garden with
his pale face of love's light

And as of any anticipated boiling pot of watched want
there it was almost a chirp, a whisper of
"Are you there?"
and her heart replied, almost bursting from
her feathered plumage
"Yes"
and in perfect beat to her own heart's pounding
she listened to his reply
"I am always here" he sang
and oh she wanted to believe with a want
that would cause a rain cloud to fill
the cement communal bathing pool

She looked a few more times and there he was
her singing cricket of such whispering song
and out of the dark sky that was turning fall
she sang out
it was quite unexpected but not without thought
"I love you" she sang
"just a little" only the little being a lie of
such white careful praise
and in those few moments of silence she waited
knowing that in three seconds the world can change
the colors much brighter
the world at an easier pace
any irritation colored over in the
comfort of Love's song of its promise
a few beats later
"We are having lovely weather for the summer"
the sweet cricket sang
"I will always be here"
and this was their Eine kleine Nachtmusik

For a Robin resting on the ground
is a terrifying thought and she wondered
at the cricket's courage
and one night when they were simply
singing one to the other and the other caught
she asked
"aren't you ever afraid of anything?"
and he wasn't of course
that's why she loved him in the first place
and she dreamt of the day when she
wouldn't be either, afraid that is
and she'd fall as she'd already fallen
to be on the ground next to him
the world's most lyrical cricket
and they would sing in the same breath
his cheek next to hers
in a garden after a long winter
and with a heart of Spring's promise
beating and singing and beating some more
Such is the way of love
and it's little night song