A lonely sparrow croons a love song
seeking a female mate.
As female sparrows swoon, a hawk
hears the sparrow’s song as well.
Just as an enchanted female sparrow
flies toward the amorous male sparrow,
the ravenous hawk swoops in and rips
the sparrow’s song and his life away.
The carnage in this world can be
overwhelming sometimes.
And neither song birds nor humans
are ever entirely safe.

Bob Boyd