Poetry: Red Tailed Hawk

During the pandemic of this year, I've been writing a poem each day and posting it to Facebook. Most of my poems are celebrations of natural beauty; a few are ethical/political commentaries with some bite.

You can see more poems by visiting my new Facebook page.

---

Red Tailed Hawk

©2022 Rev. Ted Tollefson

RED TAILED HAWK by Ted E. Tollefson

A red-tailed hawk has been visiting

balanced on a young maple

just outside our kitchen window

or parked in a small ash

adjacent to our bird feeder

but just out of view

while he preens his ermine chest

we hope he's scouting

for a new nest and not

looking for a quick appetizer

from the chickadees and sparrows

we have fed through this long winter

above all things he is watchful

a master of the art

of being present

unmoved by fear or anger

or wandering attention

content just to be

where he is

as if that were enough

and apparently it is

and the wee birds learn to bow low

and be wary.