Eagle Owl
Midnight hunter,
Minerva’s companion,
Flower-faced flier,
feathery-footed,
Of blazing eyes
and a bill like a blade;
And soft-tasseled wings,
soundless in flight.
No shadow too deep
for his shining gaze;
No sound escapes
his slitted ears.
His head when it turns
describes half-a-circle;
If he leans far enough,
he can look straight backward.
Dusk to dawn,
he dallies with the air,
His eyes alight
and ears ever open.
A menace he
to mice and rats;
The eagle-owl
of ancient lineage.