Darwin's Finches (Elegy 1)

Come unseen

the birds, the birds

in great black clouds

over highways and rail

to eat our toes

bluejay croaks

birdsong dissonant

more of the pulse

of wings,

laughter flapping

at wax and planes

they eat our toes

and think the trees inviolate

until the saw

and great black clouds

hover and spiral

must come down

must land

we will eat their wings

eat their wings

to learn to fly

away and over unseen

to peck at worms

in apples

spit out the seeds

of pomegranates

that fall on the the floor

of cavernous womb

cannibal

suck out the marrow

the glistening fat

in chasmic mouths

spit out the cracked

bones, talons

to pick out the mud

of our creation

and we will come down

as before

naked tremulous thieves

but we have the saw

John K., 2/22/2008, greatly revised 9/25/2009