HAWK

               1

Hawk above the bluff
Crosses a path of doing
Going god knows where

Balanced in one place
is morning by obsession
Feathers through restraint

Hawk isn't ordinary
Transfigured clarion
Perched in a holy place

Completes an exodus

 

               2

Hawk is hummingbird
Small cage of speed

Feeds at critical throat
Takes nectar to iridescent souls

Spreads the yellow idea
Perpetuates red tubular troughs

Blue watch-spring petals
And wonders at his bulk

 

               3

Feathers spread
on railway bed
waiting for death
as far and spare
as a chant

But no train comes

 

               4

Talons
raised over mousy fur
Spectacular traffic of prey

And I ran
Reckless through berry bushes
stinging my cheeks

Now talons
raised over mousy fur
Prey, not knowing the vice

 

               5

Heaven
gave great relief

Stars hawk circled
Angel said, I'm out

with grief
This is not my house

But miles of gray-green
atmosphere

Hawk tore, ate
This vagrant height

Only needs
the file of sight

to cut the sky left to right
a thousand feet above the fields

where straw
and garment knit

Hawk rides with faith
the awful stitch

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