Alert

Alert

You awake with a start!
What called you up? Vertical.
Blinking. Catching sight.

What pierced your ears?
Bells? Beeps? Roars?
Brutes closing in?

C A L M …
It pulses also while you sleep.
You are not D I R E C T O R …
But babe in arms.

Jeanne Poland

Owls

In my lobby hundreds perch:
Facing front they’re all:
blinking, zooming, screeching, preening
Owls: gigantic, small.

Wear a mask; fly a puppet;
Owl my eyes; grasp a cane;
Sparkle glass; pierce a crystal;
Line them up: minor-main!

Sculptures staring, wood eyes glaring;
Wings poised to take flight;
Pull the string and glass wings beat
Fly to soar with raptor might.