The Surveyor (From Poetry Pizza)
by Victor Rook
Surveyor moves along woodland’s edge
With measuring gear in hand
I watch from a distant parking lot
How he sizes up the land
About a thousand times I’d say
To witness the wondrous nature show
That unfolds there every day
I’ve seen bluejays skirt from tree to tree
And cardinals courting in view
Robins roosting on leafy branches
And gawked as their babies grew
A red-tailed hawk in a winter’s snow
Shook her wings and fluffed each feather
I filmed her one day from across the way
As she held off the stormy weather
Squirrels, too, have made it their home
Chasing up and down each tree
Hungry all day and playful in ways
Like children in groups of three
Geese stop by every now and then
They fly from a nearby pond
One pair each year, a couple so dear
Graze on the grass beyond
I’ve viewed this land as if it were mine
Through each and every season
Now I see this man walking about
But what could be the reason
Will he try to protect this sacred site
A haven we ought to preserve
So others can see and enjoy like me
This bountiful nature reserve
Or will it become a new strip mall
For judo, haircuts, and pizzas
Gouged by rent until it ends up
Empty shops with vacant leases
Or another spot for big box homes
That people seem to keep buying
For as I peek up the nearby street
They appear to be multiplying
Councilmen run on bold platforms
That promise to curb development
But what I see as I drive around
Is precious habitat envelopment
I wonder how many days are left
As the surveyor quietly leaves
Before this gift is taken away
By greedy men and thieves
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