The magnificent red-tailed

hawk sat on

the branch of the red pine

surveying the situation.

It looked around and decided

to fly away but a movement

caught his peripheral vision

and he reconsidered his mission.

A chipmunk sat on his haunches

seemingly daring the bird

not to hold back any punches.

Then the rodent rushed for cover

down the hole

glad to have survived a-okay,

but the hawk, while flying away,

thought, you’ll be the chump,

Mr. Chipmunk,

because, in the words of

a movie star, the hawk

said “I’ll be bawk…

another day.”