…
A ringtail possum, cat-nervous, scurries
along the powerline to the mango tree,
in thrall to the scent that,
in the full light of day
—It is nocturnal by nature—
has drawn it out of hiding,
to here, now.
…
High up, the possum—
grey-orange, silhouetted
against the deep green
of the shaded canopy interior,
freezes for a second—nose twitching—
before edging slowly along a branch
to the fruit.
…
It seizes a mango with both paws,
tears through the green skin,
yellow pulp matting its face,
dropping in clumps through the leaves,
its body bent wholly to the task,
breath quick and furtive in the day’s heat.
…
But now, in the pulp-sweet air,
the cats are gone, the birds, the tree,
even the sky and the hot sun—
all gone; now there is only
a sweet greenness,
a mango—
…
only mango.
…
Start Here → Next: [The Letter] · [A Process for the Creation of a Revenant]
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.