elegy (the birds)

a footpath finch squashed by some footpath fiend.
a mangled mass of feathered innards.

some small grey unidentifiable.

a featherfluffy flatness, ironed on the road like bubblegum.

a bus which ploughed a duckling train
- what could i do? said the driver, brake? and cause an accident?
(this one made headlines)

waterbirds skimming at headlight height across the road. a four wheel drive and a wing thrown wide in sudden distress. as we drove by a duck lay limp in the gutter and i sobbed so much mum stopped and walked me back. to save a fragile life too late. it died quickly, mum reassured me, birds always do.