It happened in an instant-
the wild wind whipped
and the trees tossed their leafy hair
like teenagers
at a rave party.
It was over in minutes -
but the results were catastrophic!
Trees fell,
roofs lifted,
roots sprouted from clay,
like a Dali birthday cake.
Later I ventured into the garden
(tidy too after recent endeavor)
to assess the damage.
Then I saw it -
a tiny bundle of twigs
that lacked the randomness
of the rest.
A perfect sphere of sticks,
carefully chosen
and woven...
By whom?
Was it an old home
abandoned years ago
and dislodged by the wicked wind?
Or was it a more recent affair -
an unfinished
cradle awaiting
the nudge of spring?
I picked up the nest
with tears in my eyes.
How humbling -
to witness nature's beauty and her terror
on a single day.
Alison Cassidy
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-empty-nest-4/
