I watched a squirrel and a sparrow

I watched a squirrel and a sparrow
play a friendly game of tag last Thursday
in Washington Circle.  The squirrel ran

a zig-zag pattern across the green,

trying to evade the sparrow –
but the sparrow compensated for the zig-zag
by flying up on the zig and back down on the zag,
lightly pecking the squirrel on each descent --
I looked at the lady next to me,
waiting for the green light to cross.
“Did you see that?"  She smiled. She laughed.
“Yes! I saw it! They were having some fun.”
We crossed on green and our paths diverged.

She zigged.  I zagged.