The Barn Owl

When darkness falls

Photo by author taken at the SF Zoo Dec. 2013. This is Wilbur, my adopted barn owl who lives at the zoo. He is 15 years old now.

The Barn Owl

Housed in a hollowed out tree trunk

he anxiously awaits

his dinner.

The moon, full

a deafening silence

in the dead of night.

Not a leaf rustling

or wind blowing

In a flash, he swoops down pouncing on his prey
a delectable delight
for this hungry predator.

He makes his way back to his
hollow nest, anticipating more

morsels of vermin flesh.

The darkness fades into morning
he regurgitates the bones and fur

from his nightly dinner.

He falls asleep happy and satisfied. Those rats, never had a chance.

Note: owls are nocturnal though cannot see in the dark. They use their

acute sense of hearing to hunt their prey when darkness falls.

Thank you for reading