Wayne Ray’s three-line scene reads like a quick glance through a window. It seems to catch a group of people, or perhaps just two, focused on a Scrabble board with their backs turned to the glass. Behind them, unnoticed, a red-tailed hawk is present. The poem doesn’t say whether the hawk is perched outside or simply crosses the view, but the final line lands with a small jolt. The players are wrapped up in letters and words—human language—while a wild animal waits or passes just out of sight. The speaker’s feeling is understated, maybe a little sorry about the missed moment. The mood is still and observant, mixing ordinary indoor life with a flicker of wilderness. It leaves the reader aware of everything happening at the edges of our attention.
Playing Scrabble With — Summary
Playing Scrabble with their backs to the window, a red-tailed hawk.