A ruckus in the yard
the asymmetry of attack
and defense
as two crows chase
the mourning dove away
A scattering of downy feathers
below the compact nest
sized for her squabs
the carnivorous pair
fly off with their meal
The dove never returns
the sky wears a wraparound sunset
all the way to the east
an illusion of simultaneous
sunrise and moonrise
Poem by Meg Freer
Meg Freer teaches piano, writes poetry and does occasional freelance editing and proofreading from her home in Kingston, Ontario. Her photos, short prose and poems have appeared in various North American anthologies and journals, and she has also co-authored a chapbook of poems, Serve the Sorrowing World with Joy (Woodpecker Lane Press, 2020).