Somewhere a crow is mourning

somewhere a crow is mourning
black about his shoulders
as he grieves

yesterday in numbing traffic
his mate was struck

head crushed
wing punched
flung to hot bitumen
by late-day speed

plucked out of her
brief tree
her coupledom

while he hopped round
her fluttering
and stayed when she was
still

that bird — once weaving air
and gathering earth

now a smear on tar

and somewhere a crow is mourning
black about his shoulders
as he grieves.


Julie Watts (Western Australia)

First published in Julie’s book Honey & Hemlock, Sunline Press 2013.