somewhere else

a baby magpie
is confused

more grey than black
a juvenile stub
for a beak

he has encountered
a glass pane
leaned at an angle
to the plant box

beyond the pane
is a succulent
morsel

at first
he is content
to explore
by lowering his head

reaching
underneath
the edge of the glass

then
a peck
aimed directly at the morsel
through the glass

no

a step backward
brings new perspective

suddenly

there is another magpie
in the glass

a stumble
an ungainly roll

a shake of the head

a ruffle
of feathers

and another morsel beckons

elsewhere

---

© Frank Prem, 2016

Poem #22: rough love

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