Solomon Hovertail,
I’ve watched you all summer,
Perplexed at the warrior
Life of a hummer.

Solomon Hovertail,
Looking for grace,
Fights with the air
Just to occupy space.

Solomon Hovertail,
Dines on the wing,
His brother won’t countenance
Solomon king.

Even when brother
Isn’t close by,
Solly’s alert,
As a Cold War spy.

In blood, the brothers
Have sworn to a treaty,
“I’ll die before letting
You eat at the feeder.”

This deep in August,
Cicadas go long,
Run the length of the field
With their each-other song.

Zinnias on stalks,
With defeat in their eye,
Brown upward in place
Going hot-attic dry.

The hawk, he is hungry;
The squirrel hops it nimble
Down his power line highway,
A risk, a life-gamble.

Only the butterflies
Haven’t a care.
Their wings drink abundance
From oven-hot air.