Unexpected Bonus

By Nancy Haskett

He keeps the secret

as we hike the Chickadee Ridge trail

in the middle of the Tahoe forest,

watch birds flit through the pines

 

as we hike the Chickadee Ridge trail,

he stops, pulls a bag of seed from his backpack,

pours some into our open palms

 

in the middle of the Tahoe forest,

where we stand like statues, arms high in the air,

quiet, scarcely breathing

 

watch birds flit through the pines,

swoop down to feed from our hands,

soft and light as a whisper

An educator for over 30 years, Nancy Haskett retired in 2011 and is an active member of the poetry community in Modesto, CA. She is a member of the Ina Coolbrith Circle, MoSt (Modesto Stanislaus Poetry Center), as well as a small, private writing group. Her work has appeared in more than 40 publications including Stanislaus Connections; Penumbra; Homestead Review; Iodine Press; Song of the San Joaquin; The Pen Woman; Miller’s Pond, Wild Roof Journal, The Ravens Perch, Choeofpleirn Press and many moreA collection of her poetry, Shadows and Reflections, is available to purchase on Amazon.