Lithe warrior

Poised and ready for flight
the warrior patiently waits
on a nourishing papaya leaf,
its lithe form encased
in battle armour and helmet
replete with toughened wings
and sturdy antennae sensors.
When the bird arrives,
predatorily eyeing the tiny morsel
standing still as a post,
the bird stands no chance whatsoever
against the little armoured fighter
prepared and waiting for this very moment,
who then deftly delivers a stunning blow
by lifting off swiftly, unexpectedly
and crashing bodily
against the descending bird’s soft belly
sending the bird spinning and zooming
across the cloudy sky
to land with a thud on a faraway tree’s branch
senseless and disoriented,
before returning to its post
on the sturdy papaya leaf
and resuming its steady watch.