Hunter
silent road
winter morning
iced puddle
shines in the sun
above the puddle
wraiths of mist
curling towards
a harsh blue sky
air still as death
rabbit foraging
in frost-filled grass
fur a mat of diamonds
ears alert
a sudden movement
rabbit’s ears twitch
time to leave
gone in a moment
enter fox on silent legs
duck at pond’s edge
duck taken
in a flash
all still again
mist still rises unconcerned
towards the blue sky
as if there never was a fox
or a duck
Ian Stewart