| Aurulent plumage pulled from the mine And painted with vermilion like an acrylic overlay Flight assistance provided by a latitudinous span A dagger serves as beak, curving to a cusp, forming a ferocity challenged only by its own piercing retractiles Salty, scalding tears drip through the face fringe and land on the lesions of the inculpable Sealing the sores like a mother darns socks Cinnamon scent surrounding, Like potpourri on the windowsill Gathering twigs around its frame it pulls its hearthnest into a death-hug It enkindles the wooden blanket, releasing heat in roaring ocean waves The smell of smoldering feathers and flesh does nothing to disturb the sacrosanct scene, Exalted like a crying statue or a baby's birth From the cinders, it emerges, reborn and infant-resplendent Fluffy tufts sprouting forth like a teddy bear Jutting its long neck forward it palpitates, drying its down like a dripping Labrador Looping, cycling Birth and biorhythm |