Steely reptilian gaze fixed

Upon the amber creek

Empty now of perch or carp

To scoop into his beak

As if disgusted with his luck

Or with earth’s jealous hold

Gnarled knees bend in heated breeze

As ebon wings unfold

Smooth and silent as a moonrise

The great spans piston down

Then rising, soaring, free of us

Mere mortals on the ground