Backward Flyer

I love seeing
humming birds
feed from my
liquid nector feeder
hanging off a metal 
pole on my backdeck.

Gold finches,
Warblers,
the occasional
Blue Bird,
Doves,
Downey Woodpeckers
and my favorites.

The Hummingbirds are 
the only birds who
can fly backwards
AND
they are mean to 
each other dive bombing
one another when 
another feeds.

The yellow jackets
and hornets do not 
intimidate the hummingbirds.
They birds just look 
at the insects dressed 
in their striped yellow
and black prison uniforms
with the "really" pan.

I love the sound of 
their fluttering wings,
sounding of a
giant bumble bee
next to the ear.

One early Spring,
I have not put out the feeder 
and wonder if the humming
birds are back.

No sooner does my 
thought end, 
when a humming bird 
flies up like
Tinker Bell 
from Peter Pan, 

and in front of my face
buzzes to the left,
then to the center,
then to the right and 
back to center and
turns to fly and 
disappear in the woods.

The humming bird has
said its Spring Hello to me,
and "Where is the 
nector feeder?"

I go in the kitchen, 
mix the nector powder
in water and pour it in
the feeder to quench
the thirst of my friend.