Midnight Thoughts

Sometimes at medianoche,

when sueño evades me,

or I am burning the midnight oil,

I sit by the ventana

and watch the world outside.

Pin-drop silencio —

except for the cooing

of palomas from the tejados.

No coches rushing by

on the empty calle.

Luna lights the paisaje,

only a few farolas flickering.

Siluetas of colinas

stretch from sur to norte,

árboles standing like sentinels.

I gaze at the cielo,

the sparkling estrellas.

Silencio is hermoso,

rare in a mundo ruidoso.

Soledad is gloriosa,

a regalo in a vida abarrotada.

Spending tiempo with myself,

not rushing through chores,

watching the noche solitaria —

fills me with paz.

Translation:

Sometimes at midnight, when sleep evades me or I am burning the midnight oil, I sit by the window and watch the world outside.

There is pin-drop silence — except for the cooing of doves from the rooftops. No cars rush by on the empty street.

The moon lights up the landscape, with only a few streetlights flickering. The silhouettes of hills stretch from south to north, and trees stand like sentinels.

I gaze at the sky, where the stars sparkle. Silence is beautiful, rare in a noisy world. Solitude is glorious, a gift in a crowded life.

Spending time with myself, without rushing through chores, watching the lonely night — it fills me with peace.

Note: This bilingual poem was originally published in Medium.