(A coronavirus poem)
At the edge of my lanai
a hummingbird dazzles
over the stamen
of a gardenia bloom
A myna bird diving
from a banana tree
plucks it midair
with a moist “schlupp!”
sweeps smartly
in an untouched breeze
down the slope to an opening
in green groundcover;
drops its catch on a bare spot
between two others of its kind
that hop closer, twitch
their heads and beaks,
feast upon the delicate specter
Squinting from my lawn chair
I can’t seem to bring
back the sight
of the hummingbird
hovering there
Gone too, the joy
I felt