Wednesday, May 18, 2022

New Poetry by Erina Booker










Awakening

Shafts of sound: insistent and clamorous
descending from alto to bass,
siren through the glass wall
and drop into the tiles beneath

it’s early morning, the sky
is indigo, not black, and feels
about 5 a.m. … we walk the few steps
to the balcony, and freeze before the two heralds
who woke us, sitting next to each other
claws over the glass panes

a pigeon pair of large black birds, currawongs
summoning us to their presence
I know there’s white on the undersides
of their tails, but can’t see it
neither can I see the egg-yolk yellow
of their eyes, just an onyx gleam

they shrill loudly in unison
immobile, parallel
both eye-ing us
doppelgängers by sight and size and sound
they have my full attention:
a perfect Tarot card
of divination
thrust before my face!

one currawong, a former visitor
responded to a whistled call, pecked at
the dog’s kibble, paraded his magnificence
of strut and strafe, his fearlessness
his desire for company

now he has brought his new mate to introduce:
he has reached through the barrier of biological
class to something greater, deeper, and privileged
he has grasped our commonality of living spirit
and in so doing has made us familial

now there is an icon in my mind –
a sacred painting of this pair of birds
jet black against a gold-flecked sky of
lapis lazuli, who sang loudly enough
to rouse us and tell us their news

thank you for that, you two,
I approve
I approve with all my heart!
 

- © Erina Booker 2022


Erina Booker is a Sydney-based poet. Her life revolves around poetry, from publishing books and contributing to journals, to recitals at public events and presentation of seminars. She contributes ekphrastic poems to various galleries. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Literature & Composition), & a Post-grad degree in Counselling. Words, & the pauses between, are her interests. Her work may be found on Amazon and Lulu Press.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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