Hummingbird

A neighbor tends the garden in the courtyard: tomato plants, herbs, cacti, succulents, large agave growing upward and outward, deergrass spilling onto the sidewalk. To cultivate it further, he placed a birdfeeder or two, nestled among them. At first, the birds didn’t come. Instead, neighborhood squirrels climbed the plastic poles and stole the birdseed. Then, the coyotes lurked in the tall grass and caught the squirrels at dawn before the sun’s rosy hue enveloped the courtyard. 

Now, at dusk, a lone hummingbird’s hovering body can be seen, flitting among the plants, landing at the birdfeeder before disappearing into the night.