When The Coyote Comes

Midnight in the yard
A dog begins to bark
The next-door neighbor
Shuts her kitchen blinds
Up on the moonlit rise
Joe-Jack sleeps outside
On an old gunnysack
Filled with soda cans
Out across the lawn
2 cats have their fun
Epi and Lou on the slippery grass
They tumble and jump in a crazy dance
Look up at the stars like they’re in a trance
Climb the willow tree
Epi and Louie freeze
They don’t blink or breathe
A sudden danger
In the atmosphere
Walking down the road
Sniffing as he goes
An old coyote
His eyes are yellow green
Trickster on the prowl
Throws back his head and howls
The night heats up when the coyote comes
He won’t rest till his work is done
Critters flee when he comes around
Some won’t make it home
Life is never what it seems
Pull me from this waking dream
I should have come inside
So much guilt, so much regret
Don’t let my life be over
Let me come inside
I wanna come inside
Epi and Lou run across the yard
They look to the window but it’s much too far
They turn and race for the broken car
Barely make it in
The night heats up when the coyote comes
He won’t rest till his work is done
Every critter flees when he comes around
Some won’t make it home