silent huntress

Athena's bird

My instinct is
to hide,
to curl into myself
my head beneath
my wing.
I’m nothing—
no threat,
no danger here.

I follow
an intrinsic need to lurk
high above the world—
in the trees
where sun
and shadow match
my dappled cloak.
You’ll find me there,
waiting,
watching
for stars to light
my way.

Who will hear?
My soft feathers
move silent through
the trees, no
unnecessary gestures
to punctuate my flight.

Look into my eyes.
Fall into them.
I hold the memories
of a goddess,
the indelible strength
of myth
of my search
for wisdom.

If they can’t touch me,
I won’t bleed,
but if they come too close,
I will taste their blood,
copper, salt, and sweet.
An owl hunts alone.

line count: 40

Prompt ▼

Prompt for: Sept 8, 2015 (Fyn)
Subject or Theme: If you were a ‘real’ mammal, bird or insect, what would you be and why? DO NOT DESCRIBE the animal (et al). We do NOT want to read that : I have a cute nose, whiskers, long, fuzzy ears and like carrots. This will get you a big goose-egg for a score. Read the prompts!!!

Word(s) to Include: intrinsic, instinct, indelible (or any derivatives of these words) PLEASE MAKE THE REQUIRED WORDS GREEN
Forbidden Word(s): animal, bird, bug, insect, dog, cat (or any derivatives of these words)

Additional Parameters: DO NOT use the name of your animal in the poem except as a adjective, for example, eagle-eyed or lion-maned or rabbit-eared or dust-bunny or goose-egg. This is merely an option, not a requirement. Last line should in some way identify, by name, the mammal, bird or insect that you are. At least 30 lines.

Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.