In 1984, my mentor, Robert, and I went for one of our walks. Above us, a blackbird soared, silhouetted against the blue sky, with something in its beak. The bird landed. We tip-toed as close as we could. As we approached it in the mid-morning sun, it flew back into the sky, a moth in its mouth. While saddening, we knew this for an ecological process of life.

The Blackbird and the Moth

The blackbird flew by
With a moth inside its beak
In the midday sun.

You can order my poetry collection, including this poem, here: Reflections of My Heart.

Original text ©2025 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image by Tum kohinoor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.