Unogwaja

I couldn’t say who saw who first:

Yellow eye spying yellow boy,

or the other way around.

Either way, here we were,

Frozen stiff

on a warm summer afternoon

I slowly raised my arm

and drew back its deadly prop

Long, fletched, with an iron beak that would soon

Find its mark

In the sinewy stomach of

My prey.

I could scarcely believe my luck

Right there

In the light of day

Crouching beneath an azalea.

Hazel fur

Don’t move!

Except for a little nose twitching.

I suppose he thought I hadn’t seen him.

We stared at each other for some time,

Seconds, I guess,

But maybe longer,

Until my arm started to ache

(It was a little arm

So that’s got small baring

on how long we danced).

Let go!

Loose the arrow!

Send him to his maker!

But here he was

Just yards away

Course pelt

Floppy ears

Wild and wonderful and free

And crouching there,

Just huddling there,

Right in front of me.

I could see it flying strong and true,

My arrow,

Cutting in, pushing through

Oozing blood as strong hind legs

Thrashed

In vain

To beat an escape

I’d grab him them

And ring his neck

Probably

Before carrying him home

A trophy

By his long veiny ears

Full of pride

And

Sick with shame

And still we stared

Yellow gaze into yellow boy

With one eye shut pointing

His deadly toy

Debating conscience in real-time

As the killing window ticked away

I opened my eye

Losing focus

And watched as with a spring

He bounded away

across the field

white tail flash

and out of sight.

Beautiful.

Quickly I fired after him,

certain to miss

But at least I’d taken a shot.

Like a duelling pistol

Fired into the air.

Honour salvaged.

Little life preserved.