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Saturday, 16 March 2019

Spring, St. Stephens Green



Alexander Koester




Spring, St. Stephens Green



Whitewinged circus
of kittiewaking
parabolas of bodies
swooping roundabout.

Strong drakewings
cleaned with preening
are crashing down
upon the lucid coolpond
with steely stiff fleatherflashes.

Plashed is the pondface
quivered with buff quill
with lively leg and bill
with webfeet tangerine -
a tammany grace.

Headbobbling drakesheen
from greenshot velveteen
and a wineplush breastlapping
and prestdown ducktapping
from flat bills nippling.

Swift crystal beads
oily globular
spring from bright backs:
and a male claptrapping
into mating tactics
murmuringly merges.

Quaggling!
And mallard dabbling
are coy: paddling
fussy and featherflustered.

Pleasantplash!



Leslie Daiken



“Plashed is the pondface.” Wonderful. “Headbobbling drakesheen.” !! Even more wonderful. I love this poem’s movement and sound. Words bump against each other, bird bodies collide with water, and yes, it’s a “pleasantplash” all the way round.



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