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.