Flight And Fate: A Tale Of Swallows And Pike. Poem by Mervyn Graham

Upon the water's edge, swallows dart,
Snatching dragonflies with practiced art,
Yet below, danger lurks, in silent guise,
As their wings brush the surface, ripples rise.

Beneath the surface, a pike waits still,
With watchful eyes, a hunter's skill,
Timing his lunge, his prey to reap,
The swallow if caught, within his keep.

With a mighty thrust, the pike springs high,
But mistimed, he meets the sky,
Soaring to the willow's embrace,
His fate sealed in a tangled disgrace.

There, suspended in leafy boughs,
His gaping maw, a silent vow,
Yet the swallows, undeterred, find a new home,
Their flight now free, no longer alone.

In the shadow of where danger once lay,
They dance in the breeze, under azure's sway,
Their wings whispering tales of the sky,
As nature's symphony continues to fly.

Mervyn Graham (cc 2024)