Joan
Leotta has been playing with words by writing and performing since childhood
Joan recently completed a month as a Tupelo Press' 30/30 poet and has work the Spring in Knox Literary Magazine, Eastern Iowa Review and forthcoming in Silver Birch Review. In addition to
work as journalist, short story writer, author, poet and essayist, Joan performs
folklore and "women-in history" stage shows. She often walks the beach in
Calabash , NC with husband Joe. Her
four books of historical fiction (Legacy of Honor series) are
available from Desert Breeze Publishing and on Amazon along with her newly
released collection of short stories, Simply a Smile. Her first picture book, Whoosh! (about a father and young
daughter's day out sledding) can be pre-ordered from TheaQ and will be
released August 2015.
Find
her at www.joanleotta.wordpress.com and on FACEBOOK
Red Hawk
He watches my field
from the electrical lines.
Though he faces field,
back to the road.
Still, I salute him as I drive by.
On guard, he never wavers
today I note his
feathers seem loose,
slightly fluffed
as I am witness to the moment
he is poised
to unleash those
wings as power to swoop
on mouse or mole
threatening my corn.
Dawn is making her
presence felt, partnering
our moment with
a pink sky. No car behind
me I pause to watch.
A moment later
my knight in hawk's armor
swoops down across
the field, disappearing between
the rows and then arising
once more.
Wings spread still
he glides across the sky
close by my windshield
displaying for my approval,
his hunter's prey
disappearing
in the morning sky, red tail
feathers camoflauged in
a reddening sky.
~Joan Leotta
