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history, biology, climatology.

the weight of definition.

"This is assembling, being
in the middle, on the line of
encounter between the internal
world and the external world."
(Deleuze & Parnet)

red and yellow leaves, beaks, glittering
light on rain. new hiking boots, mud
underfoot, two Peregrin Falcons slipping
into the heart of sky and one juvenile
Night Heron rigidly perched upon a rock,
its yellow eyes scanning the water for
fish.

today is this pastiche.

P walks to the end of the docks and back
again with his three-legged lab, the boards
still swaying while he claims the bench
next to mine, unzips his leather knapsack
and retrieves a folded blue towel that he
drops by his feet. he also lays a silver
bowl on the ground and pours water
from a plastic bottle which spills up
the side. his dog nestles his chin on
the towel. P reflexively slides his
fingers into fur while I point to the
female sea gull, the one with her feet
bound together by fishing line, a hook
still dangling between her legs. P's dog
remains surprisingly calm while I approach
her with food in one hand and a pair of
pliers in the other. P inches closer from
behind and slowly rests both hands on her
folded wings. this time, she surrenders
with only a flutter; I am close enough to
cut the line and unwrap it from her pink
legs. she looks a little startled when I
slip the last piece away from her skin.
then we both let go, watch her fly up
and away until she disappears into sky,
into white on white. I wonder if she
will return.

like all the things we entangle oureslves
in, what good is the weight of armour
if what one wants to do is fly.