Predators

in the dark yard
our dog barked
a deep warning

it was early spring
and with the increasing light
the forest thickened every day

he ran the rear fence
left to right and back again
his instinct triggered by

their presence the
the coyote's three-pronged
threat grew less cautious

confident with the faint
rustling of strategy
and their shared goal  

my awe and curiosity
became fear I knew
that his bravado

would never be enough
to overcome them
so sure with purpose

I called to him
flooded the yard
with light and noise

mindful of a force beyond ours
howling cries and yips echoed later
their pursuit audible 

the coyotes kin to this virus
an impersonal predator
unwelcome genetic saboteur 

like the coyotes
our strategies align
as we turn to each other

to overtake and
survive to move from
prey to predator