Joy
Two magpies loiter, wing to wing, at the lip
of the pond; dip big bills into its dark bowl.
A patina of cobalt flashes behind bellies, fat
and soft as cream. There is chattering
and nodding. Later, through the gate,
over the glade of cottongrass, they’re still
together, slicing the sky in two; spelling
it out – inky feathers, skin and bone.
From: You are Her, Arc Publications, 2010.