Look Away NowSnowfall on the window sill
steeped during the night
in surreptitious steps
Our birds caught
in their footprinted theft
of crumbs from last night's meal
shared croissant encrusted
with that faint
mushroom smell of brie
What birds you would know
starling or thrush
or over-wintering redwing
their trident treads in compact
formation except for one
step turned outward
lighter than the rest
as if poised for take-off
leaping forward
from fetter of frost
rime of unsparking ice
flying alone
A metaphor
that becomes
all too clear
as I turn from the window
see the black wick
of a burnt out candle
our duvet (feather-filled)
avalanching halfway
between bed and floor
and your footprint
lightly in the dust
pointing towards the door
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