Tonight.

Tonight, the darkness is complete.
Tonight the wind whips the house like a winter storm.
Tonight the rain batters, striking like stones against the windows.
Tonight there is no moon, or stars, or sun.
Tonight the silence in between the wind and rain is like a blanket on my ears.
Tonight I read until my eyes droop
Tonight I turn out the lights and like a blindman almost walk into the wall.
Tonight the darkness is complete.

And somehow I miss the thunder and lightning that would normally come on a night like this in the prairies.  Even so, I love the sound of the rain coming down!  It always reminds me of camping.  (doesn't say much about my camping experiences, does it?)
And I know most people wouldn't include the sun when they mention the night lights that are missing, but here, the nights are just getting long enough that you start to notice that the sun is missing from them.
And I know I shouldn't turn out ALL the lights while I'm still in the living room, but I'm used to enough of a dawn-like light filtering in from the windows to always be able to see the big things.... like walls!

And the best thing about a night like this, is I'm already half asleep, and the wind will rock the apartment building enough to soothe me the rest of the way into a long night's sleep, with no alarm to wake to in the morning!  (I work nights tomorrow, I'll need all the sleep I can get tonight)

Goodnight!