A budgie, pretty in lilac, cream and brown
Perches on the trellis,
Glancing all around and seemingly
Unafraid.
Yet just yesterday,
The next-door blackbirds lost a chick.
Fledging too soon from the shielding hedge,
It dropped from the ledge and once on the ground
Was trapped.
Easy meat for a magpie to peck.
The budgie, charming colours so striking here,
Perches on the trellis
Alongside dowdy sparrows,
Pecking at jasmine flowers.
Ceramic white petals float to the ground.
Forget the local sparrowhawk or passing peregrine.
Staying alert, a black cat leaps
To snatch.
The budgie breaks away with a squawk,
Escaping – this time at least.
But having leapt from some shielding cage
Spread its wings and flown free,
How long can it survive?
The budgie, exotic in its parrot hues
Returns to the trellis,
Glancing all around and seemingly
Still unafraid.
But up and down and all around,
They watch.
And wait.
4 June 2020
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