Warder's Song

 

eyes and ears, the only witness

stuffed shirt and stalk still, if you will

earn your name

All-Seeing, deep as full-dark

with subsong, pulsating throat 

warder of murder stock still

sunlit sheen of blue deceives ebony wings as

        three beaks belonging to brash birds, scoop
and arching back, quench ebony throats

spattered flecks of black deceive field of green

stiff-legs obliquely hopping

pair upon pair heed the wader’s quick

halting clicks and crystalized song

tempered beaks clack, fanned tails flicker,

Ravens’ wings beat blurring

like hands clapping, black across blue sky

three at the trough untuck ebony

wings spreading feathers as 

stained tips leaving charcoal fingerprints

on pale blue canvas.

the puckish warder perched on

stuffed shoulder, pecked a vacant eye,

chuffed its victorious caw

and into the sky, flitted away.