Canis Lupus

Silence

Echoing across barren white plains
Fallen flakes consume each whispering breath
Once impervious gray coat,
Fending off the clear night’s chill in vain

White puffs exhaled dissipate then vanish
Tranquility briefly penetrated by a distant howl
Mournful wail touching an empty, yearning soul
Depleted stomach hungers for sustenance

No longer running with the pack
Steel gaze of forsaken eyes seeks movement on horizon
Head tilts back toward a far off amber moon
Eyes close shutting out another empty night

Lamenting howl escapes slowly,
Forlorn cry from deep within
Head lowers in resignation,
Only ears alert hoping for some response

Silence

© 1998 Chris Dolezalek

Wolf's Howl

"The wolf's howl has been called
the most beautiful sound in the animal world --
resonant and lingering, a seductive call, and the epitome of wildness.
Wolves howl at any time during the day or night.
Many situations and emotions precipitate this expression.

Wolves howl to assemble the pack,
to alert members of a threat near the den,
and to locate each other in a storm or in unfamiliar territory.
The pack howls when it is reunited after a hunt,
possibly an expression of pleasure or excitement.

Some Native American tribes believe that
wolves howl after eating to summon ravens,
fox, mice, coyotes, and other animals to pick the bones.
During the winter, the time of courtship and mating,
howling increases as the wolf serenades
its mate with a jubilant invitation.

On a calm night over open terrain,
a howl can be heard up to 10 miles away.
Wolves also howl to publicize their presence to a neighboring pack,
declaring territorial boundaries.
It seems they howl just because they like to.

Whatever the reason,
this primeval cry has gripped the human imagination,
striking terror in days past and fascination today."

Author Unknown

Little Wolf / Lobezno / Wölfelschen / 'Ilio Hae Iki