Two, by John Riley

World With Wings, by Lorette C. Luzajic (Canada). 2017.

two

now there's two of us,
wing to wing and even,
after the paired columns
failed the sky and lost
the way through the clouds.
all we two choose to do
is watch the butterfly
with its horrible head
and wings so pink
against the yellow sky,
and sing to keep the winds
light, and pray within
the notes we bring
the wing dust there
to guide them home
will ever stay while
all else melts away.​

John Riley

This poem was written for the surprise ekphrastic challenge on birds.

John Riley lives in North Carolina, where he works in educational publishing. His fiction and poetry have appeared in several print and electronic journals, including SmokeLong Quarterly, Connotation Press, Willows Wept Review, Loch Raven Review, Dead Mule, and Blue Five Notebook.   He can be reached at riley27406@gmail.com.