Nest

It’s a lonely world
Having loved and lost,
But life is more than living and dying,
Knowing the truth and still lying.

After tickled toes curled,
After hidden fingers crossed,
After spending so much time together,
And knowing the laugh before you met her--

There sits a bird, a baby fell out of the nest,
On ground outside in quiet, unmoving rest?
I peer through the window and spy
Unprotected innocence about to die.

(between the vines a slow knell rung)
It crept behind with whispering tongue,
But I’ll lose sight if I go to save us!
So instead I watch from here and helpless

When silent song begins the morning
And wisps of smoke, the early warning,
Unfortunate babe shares mothers fate--
Gives a short cry before laying sedate.

Then appears the hawk that waited,
Oh! Then helpless babe regurgitated
And venomous one in futile fight
Is carried away in talons tight.

Consider before, what comes after
Long nights of love and laughter;
While secrets revealed to each other
Lie in the deceptive arms of another--

Out of the nest a robin chick fell,
Into the jaws of a receiving hell,
Leaving blood stained feathers cherry red--
And the ants cleaned up after the dead.