Screech Owl

by David Chorlton / November 27th, 2022

A dreamy glow is spread
across the mountain early, when the city
pigeons are the first
birds flying. A radio left on all night
plays rhapsodies and string quartets whose sounds
have travelled centuries to be here.
And a lost anxiety
sparks inside a mind reluctant
to awaken but doesn’t know the password
that it allows it back
to sleep. It doesn’t know the reason
for alarm was picked up in the night by
an owl and every bone coughed out
is fear bedded into soft
white fur.

David Chorlton has lived in Phoenix since 1978. He grew up in England with watching soccer as a major part of life although he has managed to move on to other interests since then, including reading and writing poetry. Read other articles by David.

This article was posted on Sunday, November 27th, 2022 at 8:02am and is filed under Poetry.