when midnight streets
grew silent
there came a faint
and trembling note
the faintest note
wandering
through the alleyways
a lonely note
that turned towards
an open window
sensing peace
a resting place
it slid in gently
stroked my hair
and kissed
my baby’s cheek
then drifted to the stairs
murmuring trembling
quivering
in its tip-toe search
lightly chiming kitchen pans
caressing books
and fluttering
the fur of sleeping cats
before it sighed
into the drawing room
melting sobbing
shaking with relief
it crossed the room
fingering piano keys
until it found its place
and rested there
then came a single note
as pure as silver
on the midnight air
By Debbie Stevens
This poem received a Sponsor’s Award in the Poems Please Me Prize 2014
Illustrated by Kathi Ganong (top) and Jon Munson (lower)
