The Unexpected Visitor
by Mark Fleisher

The horned owl broke the calm
of a sunny afternoon when it
crashed into a bedroom window
as I reveled in the afterglow
of a much-needed relaxing bath
This unique visit prompted
a yell when I realized the bird
averted death only by clinging
to a narrow ledge—good Karma
I hypothesized; I was quick
to jump at the chance
to perform a rescue mission,
yet the owl seemed mad
as I coaxed it into a cage
where my now-deceased
red crossbill would go
all-a-twitter when I left
its feed and tufts of grass
I brought the owl in its
temporary shelter to the zoo
near my neighborhood;
days later an envelope arrived,
its contents informing me
a panel of ornithologists
determined x-rays showed
my unique visitor
suffered no lasting damage

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