Tale of The Night

Once upon a time, it was a cold night
And one of loneliness for three shepherds,
Their melodies were the sheep glad bleating
Their balcony was light with the stars up above
In the distance, away from their little fiesta
Forest wolves called to the rising moon
The cold night’s grip was terrific this time
Thick snow spread upon the delicate earth
One shepherd tells the tale he so much loved
The others half-drunk with ale, listen and smirk
Giggling in intervals to a tale they knew from childhood
A rusty bottle of country wine and mugs sat half empty
Down the valley where other folks made cabins
The noise of singing and dancing rent up the skies
The wind takes the village cooking up the highland
This time, mothers and daughters prepared food

There’s a family of crickets tweeting in low voices
In cracks, they hid, in the chair arm, in the walls,
Several light insects danced with the lanterns
Attempting to break in to meet the flame
Bat and owls flap their wings up the roof
Night insects play in the sand, near the barn door
Bouts of cold breeze smash into the windows
But out there, three shepherds held their ground
Drinking, laughing away at a silly joke or love story
One told by the wind or men content with lonely life