What Task Is So Compelling Poem by Dr. Charles A Stone

when o'er the earth a darkness creeps
when all the land is shadow
t'is then the lonely night owl keeps
his counsel in the hedgerow

t'is then the queenly galleon shows
her broadside to us mortals
and calls the writers to their prose
behind their starlit portals

when fireflies dance across the lawn
and flowers hide their faces
and when the does have led their fawn
from all their secret places

t'is then, perchance, i'll steal away
before the dawning hour
a foot upon each magic ray
i'll climb the maiden's tower

and when you're asked why i've gone
what task is so compelling
simply say that i've withdrawn
and with my muse am sailing