An egg laid precariously on a 
slim branch of a Plumeria tree.
Parental terns watched over with
devoted care and was never unattended.

Finally a new chick peeks out 
from under a white feathery breast,
eyes on a new tropical world 
inspiring the haiku - 

Fluffy and flightless
clinging tight to home branch
a wonder of nature.

Nature that can be less than Motherly 
and quite harsh and cruel.
Today I stand under the Plumeria staring
at an empty branch through misty eyes.

© 2022 Gregory Vessar. A Thousand Miles from Kansas. All Rights Reserved.