caught a glimpsehawks spiraling overhead iPhone rang not his

                                                                    I have to take this.

Knock yourself out hawks brought him out of his chair Ive something better to do he had contempt for cellphones for calls accepted conversations interrupted could call them back  rude but he accepted that long ago his cross to bear

head tipped back he walked away on the paver patio  two  no three  three hawks

                                                                                          Wha a treat

admiring them he realised looking further into the sky there was a fourth hawk

                                                                                            Four

flashed him to a time he was walking hand in hand with his girlfriend they witnessed seven hawks spiraling over their heads

they must have watched for better than five minutes before they dissembledbroke into a pair a second pair three off on other tacks

they rewarded themselvescheered themselves plucked figs from a tree in a front yard of someones property

    shed been iffy

Babe  Woud look in the grass under the tree

                                                   See figs

If they were a priority thered be none

                                          Might even be a fence

But it’s someone’s property.

It is

      But Ill not allow tha  let figs be squandered

they picked easy a dozen  he cradled them in his shirt

                                                           yanked it out of his pantsheld the tails forward

they munched them continued walking

when they finished eating they returned to holding hands stickysticky hands

 

lunch over time to return to work her to on-line studies she did at their favourite café sitting at her favourite table

separating hands theirs made a sound like Velcro pulled apart

                                                                  they laughed  her dug her dimples 

a fifth hawk careened in from the south  five  spiraled

                                                              thought hed lose his shit

 

stood fast watching

 

What are you doing?

Look  Five hawks

Where?

Nearly overhead towards the west horizon 

Where?

Ya kiddin me

    I . . . . I see . . two . there . . three . .

. . Above the three a fourth

                                Lookinleft Lower altitude    A fifth

Fuckin crazy  Fantastic

Yes. Four.

                   Oh there.   Five.

Awesomejah

             Beats the four we saw a couple weeks back

How is it you see them?

Feelem is more like it

                           Anielas spirit animal

If I had a second choice itd be mine but Im committed

The buffalo.

Jah

        If I had a third choice Sperm whale   Land sky sea  bases covered

    You still havent named yours

I’m still thinking.

Been months  Though understandable

                                             Lotsa earthlings to choose from

Earthlings.

              You’re the only one I know who uses earthlings on the regular. Not my usual vocabulary.

    Because Like women   Ya think theyre lesserdon don bother protesting

No.

      Physically they can’t hold a candle compare compete with most men.

You cycle everything through the lens of physicality

                                                         Really unfortunate a fuckin pity

Women are the superior sex

                                 If men took their foot off the back of their necks theyd find out quicklike

Superior

I disagree.

Ya do

         chuckled deep in his throat Actually might help inform you of your spirit animal

    How so?

Pick something blind   Blind mole rats

                                            One species a flashy name  Spalax    Flip it round

Lax spaz

Seems a perfect fit

126preferred,  Sunday,  8  2. 26

1243,  Tuesday,  10  2. 26