An American turkey hawk
spreads her wide wings,
guide feathers stretched out
like fingers to feel the pulse
of the shifting wind.
She floats easily on an unseen
airflow beneath her, head
turning this way and that
to spy for prey.
High above, her sharp eyes
are able to catch half-hidden
movements of moles or mice
in folliage far below.
Lazily she rides the wind,
tipping automatically to keep
aloft on her current, confidently
seeking her next meal.
first published in The Rockford Review
©2014 Bonnie Manion