Unlike the dog,
who resents being crated for the night,
I ease willingly
into my four-poster,
where metal trellis and faux vines frame me,
and I am angel safe.

From the four upper rails
hang talismans:

a string of Tibetan prayer bells–
tiny and tingling–
scatter intentions;

a mismatched pair of tea-light lanterns
illuminates the night's journey;

and my tin bird,
hanging by its pale-blue, satin ribbon,
soars in the breeze of the ceiling fan
and searches heaven.

 Text and image © 2011 by Dirk deVries. All rights reserved.