On the Edge of Night

You steal through the night,
Never stopping to linger,
Barely slipping through,
My outstretched fingers.

Come back now,
Stand in the light,
Instead you ripple and fade,
Forcing me to fight.

My eyes wide open,
And I don’t see a thing.
Close them and I might,
Hear a distant ring.

You whisper and sing,
A wordless song,
On the edge of wakefulness,
As if the notes formed a misty fog.

Why must you stay just out of reach,
Why do you make me search,
Straining forward where you wait,
On your wavering perch.