Where did you come from, my splendid winged one?
Just passing through enroute to harry fields teeming
with mice and voles, your nocturnal vittles?

What a strange perch you chose, this asphalt patch
of road to alight, the mayhem of motorists, here,
in the driveway entrance to a shopping mall.

Look around, snowy star! You’ve managed to do
what even traffic lights rarely can with certainty --
backed traffic to a standstill with your presence.

Rare sight that you are on any road at any time,
your sudden presence has changed the tenor
of the day, slowed the rush, brought the police

to direct traffic and ensure your safety, summoned
wildlife people to attend to your needs. A tiny moment,
a respite from the usual urban ennui, a news item,

a driver’s anecdote, a curiosity, quickly forgotten.
Still, perhaps there’s a smidgeon of comfort we
can glean from your visit, that despite our failures

and seeming lack of will to do what’s right,
this day suggests that hope manifests itself in
most unexpected places and wondrous ways. 

© by Glen Sorestad.
Used with the author’s permission.