Wild wings flashing
He
Cardinal
thrashes enemies,
marauders of his nest,
his mate,
his reddened honor.
Daylight wakes his vigilant defense.
Each window shows the face
of his antagonist,
the face
he pecks
and claws,
feathers littering his battlefield.
The face he can’t defeat
is his,
his talons,
his beating wings.
He beats relentless
on the wall of mirrors
holding him
until the darkness comes.
Theological profundity! My wife’s comment was to quote Pogo: “We have met the enemy and it is us.”