Two of the songs in this cycle were inspired by the poetry of Michael T. Young and Sue Owen. I used my own poem to complete the group. In « Advice from a bat, » the violin portrays the sounds of the bat’s flight, while the tenor delivers the bat’s advice. In « Crickets, » the violin is the singing cricket, while the tenor describes how the cricket’s voice sounds to him. The violin represents the « Dark Shape” as the song begins, while the tenor describes seeing it outside his window at first light; only at the end of the song does he reveal what the shape actually is.