I Woke

I woke to the dark morning
When the moon was lost
And wandering in the mountain forests
Just beyond my reach.
On the valley floor there was no sound
In the hush before the day
Only the heat. Only the heartbeats
Of the sleeping. Only the waiting
Of the feral.

I woke to the calling of the coyotes.
Do they know I listen for them?
Do they know how I long to speak their language
But don’t make time to learn?
Just as I will meet you and you and you today
And will not have enough moments in my hand
To understand your heartbeat,
But I will still long to speak your language.