Song of a Summer's Evening

A poem. Sestina. Listen to the song of a quiet summer's evening.

Listen closely - can you hear the sound
Of the quiet in this wooded place?
Do you hear the softly swishing leaves
That sway upon the evening's gentle breeze?
Out in the distance, listen to the song
Of warbling birds as evening comes around.

Day is done and evening takes its place;
Together let us walk without a sound,
And drink the evening as we look around.
The only noise we hear is rustling leaves
As the forest sings its evening song,
Conducted by the cooling western breeze.

Twilight slowly comes and daylight leaves;
Vanished now the day's cacophonous song.
The silence of night is in the breeze
As darkness overtakes us in this place.
Yesterday's cares depart without a sound;
Evening's tranquility is all around.

Let's walk on and feel the cooling breeze
On this summer's evening, in this place.
Tread lightly now, and do not make a sound,
The silence of the night is all around.
Hear the softly sighing maples' leaves
As they chant their tranquil summer song.

I love to listen to the placid song
That's carried on the cooling western breeze.
Shall we embrace the stillness of this place,
Shall we not say a word, nor make a sound?
The sky is dark and stars are all around -
See them twinkle through the swaying leaves.

It's getting late, but let us walk around
And listen to the softly swishing leaves.
In the darkness, can you hear the song
Of the night, now carried on the breeze?
So let us linger in this tranquil place
And listen to the woodland's silent sound.

As we walk around this quiet place,
The only sound we hear is in the breeze;
We listen to the song of swaying leaves.