Poetry Friday: Hawk (+ Giveaway!)

Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks to Ruth at the blog There Is No Such Thing as a God-forsaken Town for hosting this week's list of poetry links and posts.I'm always happy when a poem written  years ago finds a home with a journal or anthology.Back in winter 2011, when my children were still children, a hawk made a few visits to our backyard swingset. It was always an event, but especially that January, after a snowfall.The poem is true to what happened that morning, and my feelings about it. But until last year "Hawk" remained unpublished. I'm so glad that it appears--along with two other poems of mine--in Bay to Ocean Journal 2021 (from the Eastern Shore Writers Association). I have one copy of the journal to give away. Leave a comment if you'd like a chance to win the book at random. (U.S. only please.)HawkBy Laura ShovanIt is young, feathers puffed against the cold,standing on the old swing set’s beam,talons deep in last night’s snow.We crowd the back door, take turnswith binoculars meant for star gazing.The children get bored, return to breakfastwhile I look and look. The bird’s eyesare goofy with surprise. It can’t figure outhow it came to our yard, why it’s perchedon a dilapidated a swing set. It stares at our houseas if it knew this place once.It looks confused, the way we all do,finding ourselves in an undignified moment.The hawk raises one yellow clawplaces it deep in snow, swoops away.The children pack for school and are gone.When I stop and hold still, I get a little dizzyfrom the suddenness of it.