longing for darkness alone
she retires her candle
going undercover
to think back on
a walk she took
in the cold grey before dawn
finding hoof prints set
in freshly fallen snow
along a trail they laid
across the steep hillside
in the woods behind their home
now night winds heave
the forest slopes
she hears the hills that hold her
in their sweep
well held in living darkness
her longing becomes
belonging

-Geoff Oelsner