Two Shadows

The leash is looped around my hand like
Half a pair of reins. I wait patiently
For the dog to do her business so I can
Put her to bed. The cool, silky breeze
Prickles the hair on my bare forearms.

The Twins are in Seattle, which is why
The baseball game is still going, even though
My watch tells me that it's almost midnight.
So I listen on my Walkman, and the summer game
Seems to take the edge off the evening chill.

My shadow from the yard light sprawls
Across the grass. But the moon, suspended
Overhead like a pockmarked pearl, casts a much
Longer one, in a different direction. The man-made
At odds with God's light. And dwarfed by it.