The ink has faded to burnt sienna,
depicting a rust-colored precipice. 
A man in a harness lowers himself
to where a nest is ensconced in a crag.

His torso horizontal, he reaches
inside the roost, abducting eggs and chicks.
From the upper left, a full-fledged eagle
flies toward the hunter, oblivious

to the impending conundrum they share.
Will she release her quarry, a rabbit
clenched in her beak, in order to protect
her brood? Will he drop the basket he holds
by his waist so he can fend off attack?
The moment suspends, the outcome unsure.