“Intruder”

by David Mihalyov

A grackle lands halfway up 

the steep edge of the roof

and slowly works its way down,

rotating its head in quick jerks

to see if anything objects

to its presence. A quick drop 

to a wire, and then a hop 

into the opening under the eaves

where a nest has been built.

A smaller black bird speeds 

from a nearby maple and enters the nest, 

the grackle hightailing it out; 

a trespasser, I suppose, looking 

for a home where the hard work 

had already been done.

David Mihalyov lives outside of Rochester, NY, with his wife, two daughters, and beagle. His poems and short fiction have appeared in several journals, including Concho River Review, Dunes Review, Free State Review, New Plains Review, and San Pedro River Review. His first collection, A Safe Distance, will be published by Main Street Rag Press in Spring 2022.