A kite of pigeons swooped
And dipped
Across my window
I grabbed the string
And flew them
Back and forth
Obligingly
They circled low
Above the cityscape
I steered them through
The houses tightly rowed
And sent their souls aloft
In search
Of field or pasture
Then wound them down
Into a solitary elm
Where branches caught us
With nostalgia
Momentarily
But with a gentle tug
I disentangled our desire
And with my rural heart
Tied to their tail
I let them go



Sara Mathews     February 2016