City Osprey

She's hidden in the plain sight  
of busy public places    
an osprey nesting      
on the corner eave      
of an old hotel she    
swoops out over traffic    
like an errant rag of news    
she watches slithered shadows      
of flagpoles wavered    
across a set  of concrete steps    
like forgotten snakes      
   
She waits    
for twitching ears    
of cottontails    
who never do appear    
the city osprey knows    
her hunting starts      
when strung out      
headlights    
spot from very far away    
in their drunken      
highbeam glint      
like multiplying moons    
floating down the asphalt stream    
where multicolored shopping lights    
glow at dusk like titmouse eyes    
after dark    
running up the well kept trees    
through their branches    
rooted in the concrete planters      
   
She sees the rodents slip between      
the dumpster wheels below    
her perch    
with sickened wren   
and ribby ferral cats    
the only minnows    
spied    
are nickles      
sunken in the tepid fountains      
or empty cans    
fishtailing up      
the seams of streets    
clank end on    
end in an empty
windswept spin      
and looking down    
she flys like them