"One Mean Thing"

One victorious sparrow perched, pumped up, on my deck rail.
The deep chocolate lining his tan chest, strained to accommodate his swollen ego.
He’d chased the others away, with twittering beak and shrill yaps.

I chided him for the aggression toward his kin, yet he did not budge.
And again I asked him to leave me, the way of all flying things.
Take off from here, if you’re not going to be nice, you bird.

Still he hung around, tilting his head in my direction only briefly
Before swinging it sharply back toward the way they went, terrified.
But I couldn’t let it go, couldn’t let one mean thing go without redress.

With my bare foot square on its bumper, I gave him one last warning.
Ignored, I powered the red coupe toward his post.
He watched it come, less scared than indignant.

With a slam against the rickety banister,
And what could only be a shrug,
he finally flew away.