Ossein of Magpie
In the space between my ribs there is song,
for the magpie that put it there is trapped
in my chest of needles. Once swallowed all
I could see of it was a zoetrope
of tangerines. The terrified thing shook
all night long, I couldn’t get a wink of sleep
while it’s navel orange beak reflected
illuminations between cartilage.
The magpie grows tired now, its attempts to
break free of the webbing of my breast are
feeble, it’s made its prison in my nest
of thistles and ripe red berries that I
get complimented on. I’ve been viewed as
an absurd grotesque, my magpie soothes me.
Grant Tarbard‘s first chapbook Yellow Wolf is published by WK Press, his first full collection As I Was Pulled Under the Earth is out now from Lapwing.