A Deadly Dance

 

the owl listens for its prey

perched on a branch above the ground 

as daylight starts to fade away

a mole begins to move around

while borrowing without a sound

beneath the freshly fallen snow

and suddenly the bird swoops down

its talons strike a deadly blow

a mighty grip that won’t let go

with nothing ever left to chance

the owl isn’t lying low

and soon returns back to the branch

the winner of this deadly dance

but as the dawn replaces night

the bird now takes a different stance

and quickly chooses to take flight

in seconds it is out of sight

leaving feathered imprints far below

reminders of the deadly fight

delicate impressions in the snow

Fully Invested

all of his authority

all of his power

came from a yellow/green vest

without it he became a middle aged,

slightly overweight, adult male

who barely finished high school

but by simply putting on the vest

he had the power to hold

up multiple lines of traffic with just one hand

he could control the direction of cars and trucks

with just a pointing of his finger

by wearing the vest he became visible

the vest made him feel respected

the vest gave him confidence

if only he could have worn the vest at home

if only he could have worn the vest to bed

maybe his wife wouldn’t have filed for divorce 

Appreciation

I have a coffee can

from back when coffee came in cans.

It is full of old coins that are of little value.

Buffalo nickels with unreadable dates,

Standing Liberty quarters that are badly worn,

low grade Mercury dimes of common dates and mint marks,

and Indian Head pennies that show signs of damage and wear.

Most of these coins are only worth face value

or the scrap value of the particular metal they are made from.

However, I found a way to turn them into valuable treasures

simply by burying them in the sandbox for the grandchildren to discover.