Requiem for a Nest

–Wanda Coleman

the winged thang built her dream palace

amid the fine green eyes of a sheltering bough

she did not know it was urban turf

disguised as serenely delusionally rural

nor did she know the neighborhood was rife

with slant-mawed felines and those long-taloned

swoopers of prey. she was ignorant of the acidity & oil

that slowly polluted the earth, and was never

to detect the serpent coiled one strong limb below

following her nature she flitted and dove

for whatever blades twigs and mud

could be found under the humming blue

and created a hatchery for her spawn

not knowing all were doomed

Photo by bennett tobias on Unsplash