Moonlight Surprise

The moonlight shines brightly

casting dancing shadows afar.

A tiger prowls past

Creeping into the night.

Just behind a tree

a crouching black mystery

seems to be stalking

me in the deep,

dark, black night shadows.

But as I draw

closer and closer surprise!

For the black mystery

Isn’t a scary thing.

As the dancing moonlight

shines ever so brightly.

Then I see revealed

our dog Elmo hiding

behind a dark tree.

Elmo crouches and waits

to doggy surprise me

in the night so

that I’m never alone.

Karen Hendriks

• Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #16