 No longer lonely
by annsome
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Kali the Kougra lived alone
Where silver streams and moss had grown
Beneath the shade of many trees
And dancing leaves in autumn breeze
He liked the sight of rainy skies
The glow of stars and moon at night
Old books beside a crackling flame,
And quiet days that stayed the same
He did not care for crowded lands
For noisy streets or shouting bands
Years ago, he chose to flee
And made his home under a tree
Nilani soared through city light
That always gleamed throughout the night
She loved the music, busy squares
Bright market stalls and fancy wares
The Shoyru hated mud under her feet
Buzzing bugs, the summer heat
And thought the outdoors quite absurd
Too wild, too silent, too unstirred
Though one cloudy evening deep in green
Fate decided to intervene
The Shoyru, leaving the city behind
Suddenly became scared out of her mind
She’d lost her map, her path, her pride
With towering trees on every side
Then from the brush stepped Kali near
Who blinked in awkward, startled fear
“You scared me!” Nilani cried
“You screamed first,” the Kougra denied
Still, seeing how her wings did shake
He led her home beside the lake
She wrinkled up her nose at tea
Complained of mud and every tree
While Kali listened by the fire
To tales of rooftops climbing higher
The lonely Kougra softly learned
That friendship can arrive unearned
And Nilani began to see
The forest had its own beauty
For though they differed night and day
And viewed the world in a different way
The city sky and forest air
Became a bond the two could share
Now, every few weeks, she would return
Though every bug still makes her squirm
And Kali smiles more than before
No longer lonely anymore.
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