At Midnight
by Ted Kooser

Somewhere in the night,
somewhere in the night
a dog is barking.

Somewhere in the night
a dog is barking,
starlight like beads of dew
a long his tight chain.

No one is there
beyond the dark garden,
nothing to bark at,
nothing to bark at
except the thoughts
of some old man
sending his memories
out for a midnight walk,
a rich cape woven of many loves swept recklessly
about his shoulders.

Somewhere in the night,
Somewhere in the night,
Somewhere in the night
a dog is barking.

No one is there,
no one is there
except the thoughts and memories of many loves,
many loves, many loves, of many loves, many-