An old, ravenous vulture br Ominously hovers around br In the dark wintry sky, br Waiting for a chance br To swoop down upon br And clutch at its seeming prey br —An unwanted babe, abandoned in the meadow— br Beneath its tender ribs br With its freshly sharpened claws. br br A shadow, dim and distant, br Lurks and looms large br Behind my back, unexpectedly, br At a time when the other shadows br Have obediently faded away, as usual, br With the twilight hour. br br A wounded bitch whimpers, br She whines and she weeps, br Her yelps piercing through br The naked silence br Of the unearthly hour br Between the frigid dusk and the frosty dawn. br br I cower under the quilt, br Superstitiously chanting prayers, br Invoking my guardian souls br To sheathe me in a protective shield br Of divine vibrations br To ward off the evil portents br Conjured up in tandem by these gruesome omens. br br br br 17th March,2009 br 17.