earth & sky
Focussing intently on the corpse of the Mallard duck
inert
plugged
plucked from the sky with remarkable ease
by a red scattering cartridge.
Some minutes earlier
the duck with instinctive joy
was flapping over a neighbouring field
my fingers delicately clasping a tea cup
the Winchester still zipped in its leather case.
The shotgun barrel retorts
a fluff of feathers plumes outwards
the dead weight of the duck
drops suddenly from the sky.
'earth & sky' (2001) was first published in Mozzie, edited by Gloria B. Yates.
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