Wolf Moon

I hear him howling
all through the night
why does he howl?
is he hungry?
does he find himself
alone
finally too tired to search
for food?
are these nights too frozen
even for him?
January has two faces
the dark-haired boy
with piercing eyes
I am my rebel son
the bearded man
with silver strands
whose eyes still shine
sometimes
I am my venerable father
two heads crown
each one of us
the young give birth
to the old who toy
with their past
as children may play
with their future
today is the eighth day
of creation
a day to begin
to end and end
to begin
as I look up
with both eyes
squeezed shut
and howl

Jacob Friesenhahn teaches Religious Studies and Philosophy at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. His first book of poems is forthcoming from Kelsay Books.