I was thirty feet away
but the hawk was so focused on food
that one stray human, a dog, mockingbirds, a squirrel and a blue jay
barely distracted him.
A migrating Broad-Winged Hawk
little bigger than a crow
searching for frogs, lizards, snakes or insects
didn’t worry the other birds too much
though they chattered and kept an eye out
and flew at him now and again,
more out of habit than real fear or fight.
I do know this-
his awkward landing
in unfamiliar oak branches
and rather desperate feeding in the pasture grass
seemed like noble effort.
His timing and nearness touched me;
I was not so alone.