The feathered thing of silver-grey and jade,
Her wing with sum and pompous annal spread,
Is strangest bird, world’s wonder. Of more than stork
Or dove or jay or any eagle bred.
Her silver eggs explode with wine or milk,
Gardenia, limousine, or firework silk.
Her nature wild. Once captured, not a bird,
Heron nor Persian lark, is fed so fine.
Her Audubon, the banker, stalks and peers
Where audits bloom and grills of commerce twine.
She lives in leather nest or cote of steel.
In city migrates on the armored wheel.
Mallard and teal the fowler downs in fall.
But season is open always for green game.
All weapons used: hand or enchanting hair,
Instructed dice or dynamite or flame.
To pipe of organ some in chapel tread;
Others in alley with a pipe of lead.
Nameless. Her whims of voyage none can track.
Her legend lost; perhaps is charm or curse.
From chaw-stained overall she flutters straight
To the sweet nonsense of a lady’s purse.
Wanton with rouge, with blood and beer defiled,
Is loved at Christmas by the snowy child.
She teems in steeple wall, or no bells ring;
In clinic roof, or all the patients die;
She lies with laurel on the captain’s head
Or nations fall; their banners leave the sky.
Strange bird. Strange music from the poison breath.
Child of green lovebird and the raven death..
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