Barred Owl
All summer long a barred owl hooted outside,
keeping me company during the sleepless times.
Friday morning I found him on Chicopee Row, recently hit.
As I gathered him up,
he opened his eyes one last time,
seeing me.
Later that afternoon-
I took him to his final resting place
on a hill where 3 oak trees grow
together as one.
The silent nights are lonely without his call.
Deborah Santoro