by Elsa Johnson

Everything             is exposed and vulnerable        ground frozen

patches of ice softening                     can’t expect leaves on trees

for weeks yet               Movement above :            raptor rides air

settles high in a bare tree          stares down                   Cooper’s?

Red Tail?  –   Sharp Shinned?                They all look a lot alike :

studies me        large intruder in its naked kingdom                It is

hungry     —    eats meat     —    prefers morsels    —     I’m too big   

Patience hawk  :  small meat’s coming   —    better hunting ahead

Further on a chipmunk churrrs     flicks her tail       She’s made it

it through a hard winter         I call  :  hawk is hunting the perfect

snack              she dives into her round bare hole          Take care

chipmunk   —   hawk is hungry :                better cover is coming

Out on the lake the honking geese waddle across the melting ice

drive at rivals with rush of wings                They will breed soon

lay eggs  —   hatch chicks        Beware geese     hawk is hungry : 

turtle will be hungry too when he wakes up                     Danger

lurks below the ice        snapper swims there            last summer

he took down a full size goose     with a squawk       and a flurry

as wings wrenched air       trying to lift           hang on            lift    

Then goose went down           under the water           and did not

come back up :                    Good hunting     

turtle                      when the water warms