When your eyes locked on to the hawk high above
And your lips formed an “O!”
As she circled and scanned in the swirling air,
When your head tilted back, as far as your neck would allow,
And your cheeks went aflame in the glorious sunlight,
And your lips flushed red — too hot
And your tongue slid out to douse the fire,
You tasted the same air
And breathed the same air
And rode the same air.

As you basked in your heavens,
In that moment of bliss,
Did you feel the eyes
Locked in turn on you?
The cardinal and the sparrow and the goldfinch
And the robin and the chickadee,
All of them keeping one eye
On those murderous claws
Riding down the sky
And one eye on you.
Praying that you
Would do something to save them.
Other than standing and watching.