Rainbow shiny black, like severed digits
from a hostage hand, two feathers lying
still attached to skin, caught my attention;
remains of a wing, it’s iridescence
yet dancing on the lifeless, broken form
drew my gaze to the rest of the carnage;
remains of a disembowelled corvid
the naked, blue tinted breast hollowed out,
headless, discarded on the frozen ground
it’s smell lingering. Not my favourite
aspect of the garden; the balance of
wild with carefully manicured spaces
often overlooks the taking of life;
and the unpredictability
of the process of killing.