Bird

A flutter of wings
The bird swoops
lands on my balcony
one foot lifted
beak open wide
Unblinking eyes
stare at me
I freeze
not moving
a muscle
lest it flies scared
from my home
It takes a step
then another
seeking crumbs
to comfort its hunger
Bare as bones
the stone floor
is coldly unyielding
It pins me
with a fierce gaze
that notes my failure
Chastised I blink
and in a flurry
it flies
to a kinder space



© 2013 Uma Venkatraman ~ All Rights Reserved