She hides her soul from prying,

pulls invisibility

close, feathered mantle shielding

vulnerable organs. Should

strangers breach her barriers,

happen suddenly upon

her inner sanctum, retreat

protocols dictate complete

withdrawal, complete shut-down.

.

So when she hears her Maker’s

footsteps in the garden, she

freezes, terrified, lest His

x-ray vision spy her here,

naked; not comprehending

a Love without boundaries

or condemnation, she hides.

************************

This ruffed grouse didn’t understand that I meant her no harm, and beat a fast retreat. Is there a bond between her kind and mine, after all?