Authority

Neil Dana Gluckin

Crows are the law around here,
judge and jury
dressed in judicial black.
Their alarms move in waves
through the branches,
condemning the red fox
that steals along the edge of the woods.

Today three crows chased a hawk,
which took refuge near the top of a tall pine,
keeping its options open.
Scared?
Hawks know no fear,
but when it comes to the constabulary,
they show some respect.