The Nature of Things
April 28th, 2009
Mom first noticed
the bird setting up home
in her hanging basket.
I saw the bird there
the day after,
and thought I felt something.
Once, I lifted my nephew
because even standing on the chair
he couldn’t see it.
We still kept our distance.
One windy day I was closing the umbrellas.
It was my first time alone with her
and I swear
I could feel her warding me off
away from her eggs and her.
The air seemed dank, was rife
with the protective vibe:
vigilant mother bird
with one false move by me
was likely to peck my eyes out.
©2009 by Shari Lynne Smothers
