The Animal

[JamesG]

Criticism welcome ;0)

The Animal.

The Animal,
sitting on the sand ,
looked seawards
at the ûrClouds,
smeared with
grey and mauve
that massed at the horizon
like exhausted armies
defeated by the sun

The Animal
stirred and sieved
and cupped a thousand
grains in its animal hand
grains that once were pebbles,
grains that once were stone,
grains that once were mountains,
grains now the colour
of shellac, rag, and bone

The Animal
rose and turned
and walked the path
it had made its own,
towards the abandoned city
that stood, a faceless
grin of empty promise.
A flock of splinters
flushed by its passing
flew up and
shattered in a cry
of russet and gold

The Animal
looked up at
the concrete cliff
that was spread
with blooms of flame
that ached towards
the sun
And nodding
a greeting
to itself,
entered its
cool dark
animal home.

The Animal
Closed and barred
Against the glow
lay down and stretched
its skin, still tattooed
by the last embers of the light.
It clasped a ring
of twisted copper and gold
tight against its hirsute ribs
and closed its eyes
against the night.