Incident On The Hills

Late October. Twilight gathers gloom A seated group. A table. Someone lost Drizzling rain. An absence in the room Walking alone has brought with it a cost Dark deepens, owls zipper down the air Cold rises, biting, from the freezing moss A search begins. The how, the why, the where How fit was he? Was he the kind to stray? Police dogs look lively, sniffing here and there The mountain rescue team maps out the way The helicopter arcs its pool of light So soon it flips face down, the perfect day A slip. A frightening wait. The walker, found No body bag- safe stretchered to the ground