It's Still Life

 
Viva la Vida

He’s pointing across the street,
leaving his forensics all over
the windowpane that I cleaned
until my shoulder disowned me.

Up there. Can’t you see it?
He’s jabbing at the window.
Look, up on Bob’s roof.
Right by the TV aerial.

I should be able to see it,
the trees are April bare.
And he’s more than slightly
excited by all this, saying

It’s a heron, or a crane or
I don’t know, maybe it’s
an albacore.

Or an albatross, I suggest.

And then I see it. It looks
prehistoric, more blue than grey,
and a wingspan better suited
to Icarus than a bird.

And then it lifts, scooping air
into its broad willowy wings,
and slowly flies away.

I hum “Viva la Vida”.

for NaPoWriMo Day 10 “writing multiples into a moment”

It’s National Poetry Writing Month, which explains the surge in activity. I’m following three different sites generating daily prompts. Writers’ Digest Poetic Asides, the National Poetry Writing Month website (NaPoWriMo) and my old friend, Walt, over at Gnomes. All of these pieces are drafts.