A sandhill crane flies, its long dark legs follow behind,
dragging the wind with it. Its long neck stretches
shadows below, a straight compass arrow pointing
where the sun rises. Its red forehead matches a hot sun
looming over the Florida coastline. Its white cheeks
swallow my breathe, stabs the air with its pointed bill.
Across, immature cranes show reddish-brown
and gray bellies, standing still as the land
as if planted like a white flag of surrender.
One crane swoops to defend its clutch of eggs,
its wings acting like a parachute.
The brooding crane starts kicking and jumping
to chase away a small animal I cannot see;
perhaps, it’s a raccoon.
The crane’s animalistic panic cries
makes me want to help, making the father in me
respond, thinking of defending my own child.
The only weapon the crane possess
is the rare chance of striking the predator’s skull
with that incredibly sharp beak.
I am too far away from assistance. The best I can do
is flap my arms to scare the predator away,
screaming like a banshee. But the scuffle ends,
and my whole-body sighs, like a bag the wind drags.
Martin Willitts Jr has 24 chapbooks including the Turtle Island Quarterly Editor’s Choice Award, “The Wire Fence Holding Back the World” (Flowstone Press, 2017), plus 16 full-length collections including the Blue Light Award 2019, “The Temporary World”. His recent book is "Unfolding Towards Love" (Wipf and Stock).
