one day past the full, blue-moon

venus in conjunction with the moon

stars obliterated by the moon’s brightness

a halo around the moon

ice crystals foretelling a change in weather

two barred owls hoo-hooing madly

insistently, in deep-throated fury

coyotes barking, yipping, howling

madly, insistently, territorially

one bull bellowing in a distant pasture

madly, insistently, hormonally compelled

whip-poor-wills madly, insistently 

yammering their repetitive mantra at full volume

then, just like that, in an instant—silence