Hunger Prowls in the Night

Hunger prowls in the night -

shadows veil morbid intentions!

Eyes covet with lust unseen,
hurling angry accusations:
threatening in menacing tones
the old bones of human frailty.

A pack of four, emboldened
by superior force, a convention
of bullies, surrounds their lonesome
prey, like coyotes howling venom.

The scent of blood wafts still
upon a hot breeze, pilfering
the resonating, calm innocense
with a rattlesnake's mordancy.

The cooing , common ground dove
who nightly led a tranquil pathway
fails to appear, and in her place
a rattler lays upon the escaping asphalt
heat, slyly omitting to shake its tail.

The pack of coyote thieves circle
an unsuspecting victim, nipping
at his well worn, aching heels.

The diffused, smoke screen of confusion,
blustered from the daunting prey,
opens like window blinds revealing
the corpse of momentary reason
and the threat of danger recedes
when greed's seductive lure
infiltrates the stalking ranks.

In the fresh, soft light of morning
strange thoughts dance through
the mind of the spared prey:
wild and unbridled images of revenge
paint images on the mind's eye,
but they stir only briefly.

A notion takes form -

anger and revenge poison
from the inside out, eating away
with a foul, poisonous bile.

An uncommonly serene dove
leads the prey through a new door.