Two red-tailed hawks size up
a narrow strip of park,
survey a sycamore,
test its arthritic branches,
decide it is close enough to perfect.
Above the city's din
New Yorkers hear tiny chirps,
grab dusty binoculars,
rush into elevators,
descend from great heights,
stand shoulder to shoulder,
crane necks,
squint eyes,
point at sharp beaked chicks
pleading for food from swooping parents.
This park, where worms
and rats share turf crammed
with cigarette butts and candy wrappers,
now home to hungry begging babies,
as this crowd of city dwellers stands watch,
a few patrol, pick up bits of debris,
carefully deposit each piece in the trash,
as though casting a vote.
Anita S. Pulier:
After practicing law for 30 years, Anita S. Pulier happily switched from legal briefs to poetry. Her poetry has appeared online and in print. Her chapbook Perfect Diet was published by Finishing Line Press in 2011. For several years she represented the U. S. section of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom at the United Nations. Anita now divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles.