"Late Night Rendezvous"

"Late Night Rendezvous"

Sheep, leaping over a fence

in a tidy, timely manner.

Now, that’s my idea of heaven.

Not the chaotic crowd I view

night after night

from my sweat-stained sheets

laundered clean this morning.

My sheep shove against one another,

not wanting to be first or last in line.

Struggling to escape the plans I’ve made,

staring at me with their sneaky sheep eyes

trying to avoid further instruction.

These sheep won’t help me sleep.

They’re too unruly for that.

But I’m no shepherd

and they don’t like to be controlled.

Why are they out so late anyway?

Gretchen Houser is a retired paralegal, published writer and poet, formerly of Edmonds, now residing in Seattle, devoted lover of books and frequent contributor to Northwest Prime Time.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

SHARING STORIES is featured on www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type "sharing stories" in the search function above.