Night Dreams

The hush of crickets is abruptly stilled.
The moon marinates the night.
A cougar coughs
and pads into the dream.

A child, mesmerized by shadow,
pulls the covers over his head.
The edges and corners converge.
Reality is leaking.

Behind the taste of brick dust
the stage is reset to ordinary,
but a chill lingers out of reach
as leaves swirl above a devoured street.