Sudden Flight

On my morning walk along the sea,

I shocked a flock of birds hidden in a tree

when a fallen limb cracked beneath my feet.

They startled me too as they shot out in fleet

from the dense branches upward into the sky,

beaks pointing to heaven. I chuckled deep inside

in their swift escape, cackling as they flew,

grumbling, murmuring, and threatening to sue.

January 23, 2011, Paphos, Cyprus