Rhea*
black body bird on the ground black body bird running hunted on the ground black body bird running hunted on the ground take the sky take the galaxy and stir it black body bird evade the hunter and the cross black body bird delicious to the broken jaw black body bird pursued by name and reputation black body bird know this world could never hold you black body brave black body bright black body bird this world is loud and only qualified to say what you are not not light not star not plane not car what you are not could fill a universe
* The rhea is a large flightless bird in South America. The Mbya and the Arawaks who live among them in the Chaco study a constellation of the rhea bird hunted by a one-legged hunter. The hunter corresponds with the Southern Cross in Western Astronomy. The eyes of the bird correspond with Alpha and Beta Centauri; and a large black spot in the Milky Way is the bird’s body.
Iaboura*
shape sky into a sling and swing it from your mouth beak strong enough to hold fat futures face sharp enough to part cloud mornings neck long enough to tie in knots claw true enough to puncture crab running feathers wide enough to beckon moon i see you walking as if ground is cloud that cannot hold you i knew you thin and barely breathing then i know you now thickening to stay * but everything you’re holding morning everything you’re holding birth everything you’re holding mourning everything you’re holding breath everything you’re holding let it go
* The Carib constellation of the stork or crab-eating bird.
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