The crescent moon looms large, tonight
hanging low in the western sky.
The wolves’ teeth are shining bright;

they’re on the prowl, though not in sight,
living in shadow, ever so sly.
The crescent moon looms large tonight.

Beware the parks, tunnels, dim light
in smoky pubs, sketchy cafes.
The wolves’ teeth are shining bright.

You think you’re strong, your smile tight,
but moonlight makes you bay.
The crescent moon looms large tonight.

You never looked innocent in white,
scuffed and worn with blackened thighs.
The wolves’ teeth are shining bright

You’re looking ragged in daylight,
but you never think to answer why.
The crescent moon looms large tonight.
The wolves’ teeth are shining bright.

Barbra Nightingale’s 10th book of poetry is Spells & Other Ways of Flying (Kelsay Books, 2021). She has seven chapbooks and two other full volumes of poetry with small presses. Over 200 of her poems have appeared in National and International Journals and Anthologies. She is an Associate Editor with the South Florida Poetry Journal, a retired professor, and lives in Hollywood, Florida, with her two and four-legged menagerie.