Queen madame praying mantis dressed beautifully
after she eats her mates' heads off dutifully.
some have claimed that she acts snootily.
But I really like my queen who gasses out quite tootily.
For the first time ever,
a Cardinal's nest lay cleverly hidden
in a juncture of two branches
of the red rose climber
on the south wall of our garage.
Over the years, we'd watched with pleasure
as House Finches, Eastern Phoebe,
Bluebirds, and Wrens nested in flowerpots,
birdhouses, spruce trees, and on porch walls.
Purple Martins snootily passed us by
in spite of elaborate housing provided.
Once, a Rufous-sided Towhee deposited
her eggs on the ground, underneath
a large cedar tree near the driveway.
We mowed around them, shooed turtles
toward distant woods, and watched
eggs hatch, babies fly into the future.
Cardinal babes were a new and welcome
experience. Almost daily, we peeked.
But grief came quickly with eagle eye,
hooked talon, and razor-edged beak.
A Cooper's Hawk left a shattered nest,
a mother's heart ripped apart, and us,
feeling her pain to the marrow of our bones.
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