Don’t Hurry

Let the night stroke you

Photo by Marta Markes on Unsplash

Don’t hurry from the car tonight.
It isn’t raining.
There is no need to rush.

Slow down.
Take a breath.
Look up.

Yes, there they are,
the stars that stare,
even when you snub them.

The air,
feel how it breathes
against your cheek.

Can you hear them —
the steadfast crickets
proclaiming their brief lives?

Aren’t you glad you stopped
to let the night stroke you
with long, gentle fingers

as you might stroke a willing cat,
from the top of her head
to the tip of her tail?