In a time of distance and other poems

From In a Time of Distance and Other Poems By Alexander McCall Smith Some years ago I visited a friend who has a cottage in Eastern Ontario. One evening, my friend demonstrated to me an unexpected talent. WOLVES I read Farley Mowat and thought I knew something about wolves, About how they run down Their prey in lengthy pursuit, About the long brotherhoods Of wolves and their lonely deaths; I thought I knew about all that Until I heard a wolf howl in the night, And was unprepared For what I heard, for the keening Of it, the utter desolation. We stood outside, my friend and I, With the world white about us As he cupped his hands And howled into the darkness; From somewhere far away Came a response, a howl so sad Th at no words could describe Th e regret of it, the loneliness: Yes, I am here, it must have said; Yes, I am here, and that is all. Excerpted from In a Time of Distance: And Other Poems by Alexander McCall Smith All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.