Greylags

Find yourself by the lake,
its icy membrane split by the long
arrow of a skein, reflected
flurry of wings, cries

bawling. Knit yourself into
a parcel against its shriek, the force
shaping your bones,
steering you somewhere off course,

way beyond the city walls.
It’s as if you never belonged.
Count on one hand the things for which you longed;
watch them each take flight.

J.S. Dorothy is a queer and neurodivergent poet who writes in an (optimistic) attempt to make sense of things. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, including Pennine Platform, The Frogmore Papers, and Poetry Wales. They live in York.