Nocturnal Sounds

When sleep eludes me at night And my mind floats aimless Like a sail boat idle on the sea When on my bed I lie staring vacant At the pale moon that gleams, A medley of sounds falls in my ears I hear the chirp of cicadas, the screech of bats The hooting of owls, the flutter of moths The staccato notes of the crickets And the shrill sonorous music of grass hoppers Among these and the silence of the stars The one sound that delights me most Is the sound of the whistling Thrush Her loud song cuts through the air And mingles with the soft hush of leaves Taking me to a lovely summer dream Filling me with a peace, drowning all my pain Hidden in the blanket of darkness I am not privileged to see this beryl bird To me, a Goddess of enchantment n' magic My invisible companion of solitude! Sometimes like a sweet secret She emerges from the depth of a ravine Sometimes she hides in the leafy coverage Of a nearby poplar tree Always she starts with a hesitant whistle As though rehearsing her own art However gaining confidence And happy over her trial attempt She soon bursts forth into fullthroated song Creating such sweet vibes of warm feeling And producing in me an instant healing Nay, she sets my soul on fire And swallows me whole Creating in me an eternal longing To hear her pour out that celestial melody Staying at the far fringe of Heaven To make me lose myself within myself And slosh my soul in mad ecstasy!