After a night of
fitful sleep and twisted sheets
the words on the page
begin to blur and my head
soon sinks down onto my chest.

A squawk makes me jump
and my eyes flutter open:
a vision in black
a starling perched on the back
of a broken plastic chair.

He is watching me
intently with side-turned head
and curious eyes
as if he is ensuring
that I'll not fall back asleep.

Blurry from slumber,
my eyes meet his glinting gaze
-- moment of silence --
Then with a flutter of wings
and an imagined goodbye

he is gone.
And I am left blinking and
staring at an empty chair.

©Anneshiningstar2020
01/12/20