With a boastful groan the crow grips bone
And the cellular soul in the magi's control
He gnaws at the lover who rots in the tomb
And stalks crippled prey, awaiting the swoon

Navel, nerve, muscle, breast, and womb
The bowels and entrails on Destiny's loom
The evergreen flowers in folly's festoon
The gloating trickster swoops to exhume

An agent of ravage and fearless disdain
The menacing bird chasing the rain
Picks at a peg leg and powdered remains
And digs out the roots of bliss tangled pain

He has a mouth for drouth and an eye for gain
And a blackened face that matches his name
The word bites flesh; the tongue seeks grain
And the crow eats his fill of belly and brain

Written by © Nevada Kerr
10th January 2003.