Fledgling
A
corner of your room’s lined with the stuffing of pillows,
pieces
of speckled shell. I’ve seen you perch on the ledge,
half
out, half in, not knowing whether you’ll jump or soar.
I
think of those men who strapped on heavy plumage,
stood
on cliffs and faced the breeze; those scientists
who
studied the dinosaur of feathers. You’re still waiting
for
your tiny wings to sprout, for your fall to earth
to
be spectacular, your legs greeting the ground, travelling
up
through your pelvis and into your guts. And I think
of
Amelia Earhart, knowing just how much to believe
in
herself. You sit in the cold air, a boy and the moon,
calling
to your new friends, safe in their branches,
as
you test your language, fashioning yourself on a finch.
Your
eyes glitter; a dish of worms writhe at your side.
In
the morning, I’ll unravel the strings of my kite.
Katrina Naomi 20 April 2012
A beautiful exploration of birdiness. Picked apart for lessons and appreciated all the more for that. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThanks very much, kind of you.
DeleteKatrina
I like the way the poem reflects the fluttery, hopping-from-branch-to-branch, nature of the thought process. It suggests the different but connected associations we make when engaging with images and ideas. It's really intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThank you Josephine. Rather scary putting something up after just a couple of drafts and so little time to think it all through, still, it's a really interesting (and different) process to how I usually write. Glad you got something from it. Cheers, Katrina
DeleteI have read and re-read 'Fledgling'and made some drawings, but really I have been drawn to some safety pins I left on our sash window after the marathon and the photograph I made of them. The result may be right as a reply, I'm not sure yet.
ReplyDeleteTim
The unexpected life of kite -- its tension and freedoms. How flight releases and binds us to the return. Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lois - kind of you.
DeleteCurrently struggling with my next poem in response to Tim's Soldiers piece, have got something drafted but will see where it goes next. Will post it up for Friday 8 June.
Very best, Katrina