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Frightful (But Delightful) Sight, a poem by Lylanne Musselman

Frightful (But Delightful) Sight
by Lylanne Musselman

It was an ordinary day –
small birds busy
at the Metropark feeders,
squirrels and chipmunks
in busy-ness; birdsong, me
snapping photographs
all moving quickly –
birds scattered and small rodents hid,
and in one swoop down on dead
log a Cooper’s Hawk perched:
eyeing the frozen pond, tilting
its head from side to side –
eyes piercing fierce. Not wanting
to see him snatch a feathery or
furry friend as his tasty morsel,
I still reveled in the chance
to capture him digitally.

Bio: Lylanne Musselman, a native Hoosier, is an award winning poet, playwright, and artist. Her work has appeared in Pank, Flying Island, The Rusty Nail, So it Goes, Issue 3, among others, and many anthologies. In addition, Musselman has twice been a Pushcart Nominee. Musselman is the author of three chapbooks, including Winged Graffiti (Finishing Line Press, 2011), and she co-authored Company of Women: New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press, 2013). Presently, she teaches writing at Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University, University of Toledo, and online for Ivy Tech Community College.