A stranger has left my town

Leaving the skies tired and gray,

And pine bristles to softly sound

As the wind chased him away.

He left for us a chill that settled

Hushing all that wake to song,

And an emptiness that meddled

In the human breath for long.

Even so outside I took

A little afterward walk.

Beside the keeping brook

I listened to a little talk.

Where I’m sure I listened to

A story silence covered…

A gentle truth that few knew

In this stream of his lingered.