Footsteps of a Sparrow

I watch
colors distort into
dots tiptoeing on the white wall
Black target expands—engulfs—
flitting between rear and front sight

Blood drums in my ears—
tides I ride with breath held 
shallow. It hums, the shadow—
taunts with broken birdsongs
It knows.
All it takes is 
a skipped heartbeat
for a sniper to fall

Countdown. 
Lens focusing into center
breaths narrow into blade, inhale—
The world refined to 
a single shot resting in the barrel—

Exhale.

A light tap on the trigger—
a sparrow’s footprint on fresh snow—
silent, sudden,
the sound catches up after
the recoil sends a shock to spinal cords

That’s when chirps falter into echo
Copyright © | Year Posted 2025

Poem

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