Starling Season

A mumuration [flock of starlings] above the River Shannon
Photo by Vimeo

Orchestrated for survival

Gripping their perch

Awaiting the countdown

The murmuration

Becoming rippling periods

From every sentence ever written

This day

An exercise in mimicry

At 20 miles per hour

Swirling a dusky sky

The center black with strength

Graying out to the edge

The weakest

The fodder

For judgment

And sparrowhawks