Monday, March 05, 2007

Visit from the Red-Tailed Hawk
By Don Iannone

From the window
we watched
not more than five yards away
the red-tailed hawk
perched regally
in the still silent pin cherry.
Whitish belly prominent
and proudly fluffed
as a large down pillow.
Chocolate-brown plumage
painted
across his head,
nape and back.
Razor-sharp beak poised
and powerful talons grasping
the most hidden branch
out of view
of unsuspecting songbirds
considering Sunday dinner
at the window feeder
by the dangling wind chimes.
Eyes like lasers
focused in all directions
missing nothing,
including the playful squirrel
lost in himself,
and if not careful
perhaps dinner
for our new raptor friend.
No songbirds appear
and so he lifts off
with broad wings pumping
the Airbus-like bird
high into the marbled gray March sky.

13 comments:

Dan said...

Ah... really nice!

Kai said...

very very good!

Kai said...

very very good!

floots said...

beautiful
i saw redtails when i visited new england
wonderful birds

Borut said...

Depicted so well, no place for good or evil, just pure life! Enjoyed!

polona said...

what a great experience!
love it!

Bob said...

We can learn from the hawk....that it is imperative to have good vision.
One can see from your poems that you have excellent vision.

tao1776 said...

I also had a redtail in my back year one day. Very rare for them to be so perched in suburbia. We used to visit the Quabbin to watch Bald Eagles. Also very regal.

J. Andrew Lockhart said...

beautiful! You painted a great picture.

Pat Paulk said...

I love hawks. See em here all the time. Agree with Andrew you painted a wonderful scene!!

Kathleen said...

Nice one Don! Red Tail Hawks are so beautiful...

david santos said...

Hello!
This poem is very good, thank you
Good week for you

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Thanks all for your kind and wonderful comments. The hawk was easy to write about because of its grace and beauty. Poems about such wonderful things are easy.

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